New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Maldives row, several associations related to the tourism industry urged the Central government to ease the process of official formalities required for tourists visiting Lakshadweep islands.
The island has become a focal point for all just after Maldives politician Zahid Rameez criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Lakshadweep last week.
“Our association members had discussed Lakshadweep tourism and the association has written a letter to the government. We have requested the government to ease the permit condition and provide more transport facilities there,” Rajnish Kaistha, Senior Vice President, the Indian Association of Tour Operators, told ETV Bharat.
Echoing similar sentiments, Ravi Gosain, Vice President, IATO, “We have requested the government to provide relaxation in police clearance certificates for Indians. If an Indian tourist uploads an Aadhar card, it should be enough for identification.”
To cater to the tourists who will visit the islands, a good number of accommodations are required in the islands to stay, he underscored.
There inhabited islands are Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat, Bitra, Andrott, Kalpeni, and Minicoy. There are air and sea routes transportation available to reach the islands' destination to see beauty of the nature but that transport is not enough to cater to big number of tourists visiting in the islands. The tour operators are hoping that the government will increase transport facilities for visitors.
“We had a hybrid online meeting with our association members regarding Lakshadweep. Now we are planning to write to the government regarding more accommodation facilities to be provided there,” Deepak Upadhyay, general secretary, Worldwide Travel and Tourism Association told ETV Bharat.
Notably, after the controversial remarks of Maldives politicians against PM Modi, tourists booking for Lakshadweep and Andaman islands have also witnessed an uptick as compared to earlier following the ongoing Maldives row, experts related to the tourism industry said recently.
Meanwhile, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators has written a letter to EaseMyTrip after the online travel company announced the suspension of flight bookings to Maldives.
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