The Hindu : National : ``Andamans ready for tourism''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 24, 2005

National

National

``Andamans ready for tourism''

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 23. Despite the extensive damage caused by the tsunami, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now ready to welcome tourists from around the world, according to the Lt. Governor, Ram Kapse.

Addressing a media conference, Mr. Kapse mooted a tourism package to include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry and West Bengal. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the islands could be one package and Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the islands another. There was also the possibility of developing tourist traffic between West Bengal and the islands.

Lower airfares and leave travel concessions would help boost tourism.

Chartered flights

Chartered flights had started with the arrival of one bringing American and South African tourists on March 10. A German cruise liner would be arriving in Port Blair on March 31 from Phuket bringing 500 tourists. MV Europa was also planning to arrive in May. Further, India's first cruise liner, connecting Port Blair to Vishakapatnam and Chennai, is expected to start shortly. The tourist chartered flight linking Bangkok and Port Blair would be resumed by December.

The administration was planning to organise cultural programmes and stage performances in late March and April. Although currently only 4.2 per cent of the tourists to the islands were foreigners, efforts were on to attract more international tourists, he said.

Insisting that the islands were now "fully normal", he said all the 38,778 people in 149 camps were likely to move to their temporary houses by April 15, well before the monsoon sets in. Safe sites had been identified for the resettlement. The school examinations were held, and no student had been left out, he said.

"Slight tremors normal"

Mr. Kapse said it was normal for slight tremors to continue for some time after a major earthquake. "Nobody should be afraid because of that," he said. Private partnership in tourism projects was also being encouraged, he added.

Although the tsunami had caused serious damage, efforts were on to build a "new Andaman and Nicobar Islands" that was better than the islands of the pre-tsunami period, he said. The villages would be rebuilt in a planned manner. "Even from the sky you will see the difference," he said.

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