Lakshadweep: Can India's 'alternative Maldives' handle mass tourism? - BBC News

Indian PM Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep could spark a tourist surge - but is the island chain ready?

10 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, PMOImage caption, Mr Modi shared several photos from his Lakshadweep trip earlier this monthBy Meryl SebastianBBC News, KochiEarlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Indian archipelago Lakshadweep triggered an unexpected row that soured ties with neighbouring Maldives. It also set off a surge in tourist interest in the small island chain that has worried ecological experts and many locals.

On his visit to Lakshadweep - a federally administered territory that lies in the Arabian Sea, to the north of Maldives - Mr Modi had announced a slew of development projects and shared photos of himself snorkelling and enjoying its beaches.

Three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments about him, sparking outrage on Indian social media and prompting many to highlight Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination.

It seems to be working - Google searches for Lakshadweep, which doesn't often make it to primetime news, jumped to an all-time high last week. MakeMyTrip, India's largest online travel company, said it saw a 3,400% increase in searches for Lakshadweep on its platform after Mr Modi's trip.

Praful Patel, the region's government administrator whose controversial policies set off "unprecedented protests" from locals in Lakshadweep a couple of years ago, has welcomed the attention.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-67911165?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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