Saquib Salim

“The dawn of 1974 had opened a new chapter in tourism in the country and a new era in the history of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. A team of 15 Italians consisting of eight men, five women and two children, the first batch of foreign tourists, visited Agathi (Agatti) Island and Bengaram, an uninhabited island near Agathi, in Lakshadweep.” This was reported by K. Gopinath of All India Radio (AIR).

Lakshadweep islands, earlier known as Laccadive islands, is a sparsely populated archipelago which was earlier ruled by Tipu Sultan and Bibi of Kannur. Later the British annexed these islands and attached it to Malabar district in Kerala.

Till the British ruled these islands the principal occupation of the population remained the coir and coconut production. After India gained independence in 1947, the government also tried to raise the standard of living in islands like Lakshadweep.

Indira Gandhi at Lakshadweep

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during her three day visit to Lakshadweep in 1969 held several public meetings and ensured, “Although, Delhi is many miles from Lakshadweep. For us, all the people of India are near… When we make our plans for the five years, we take into consideration the demand, the views and the difficulties of the people.”

The government took steps to develop Lakshadweep into a tourist destination. In order to achieve that, tourists from Europe were invited.

First of all, in 1974, fifteen Italian tourists came to stay at these islands for ten days.

The team had deep sea divers, underwater sports writers, fishermen of repute, architects, and others who wanted to seek a quiet holiday.

In the next five months, three more teams from Italy and one from France visited the islands. A total of 55 European tourists visited Lakshadweep in the first half of 1974 as the earliest European tourists to these islands. The archipelago was set to be onthe Tourism map of the World.

The tourists were impressed by ‘underwater wealth, scenic charm and friendly people who greeted them with hospitality and colourful cultural programmes’. The foreign tourists had several suggestions for the administration to promote tourism in Lakshadweep.

In their opinion, “Special boats are required to enable the tourists to move into the lagoon even during low tide. Attractive cottages made of cadjan leaves with modern facilities and good food have to be provided. They are not at all anxious to have accommodation of deluxe standard. Establishment of a small bakery to provide fresh and good bread in the island is also essential. The tourists have also revealed that the journey by the all-weather ship M. V. Amindivi from Cochin to the island and back was pleasant. But more tourists could be attracted to the islands if journey by air was possible.”

Air India and the Department of Tourism had already started making plans for an airport in Lakshadweep. The Civil Aviation Department visited Kavaratti, the headquarters of Lakshadweep, Agatti and Bengaram in 1973-74 to explore the possibilities for the construction of an aerodrome for the benefit of the tourists. Their proposal was to construct an international aerodrome on Agatti island.

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The progress had been slow since 1974 and Lakshadweep is still waiting for her rightful place on the Tourism Map of the World. AIR pointed out in 1975, “Development of these islands as beach resorts will be a silver lining in the promotion of tourism in the country.” Indian Tourism is still waiting for this silver lining.