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    TRAVEL & TOURISM                                                      AUGUST 28, 2026      |  The Indian Eye 43

                              Andaman Islands                                                                      Madhya Pradesh

                broaden tourism offerings                                                                            Draws Praise
                                                                                                                      from British

                                with luxury stays                                                                         Traveller

                                                                                                                          adhya Pradesh has drawn
               ndia’s island territories are ex-                                                                          fresh  attention  from  in-
               panding their tourism  offerings,                                                                  Mternational travellers after
            Ifrom lagoon villas and luxury tents                                                                  British travel creator Jack Heaton de-
            in Lakshadweep to astro tourism,                                                                      scribed the state as “the most slept-on
            bird watching and eco-tourism in the                                                                  place” in India. His comments, made
            Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as the                                                                   during a recent visit to Indore, have
            government seeks to attract more do-                                                                  gone viral online, prompting discus-
            mestic and international visitors. The                                                                sions about the state’s tourism poten-
            initiatives were outlined in a written                                                                tial and lesser-known attractions.
            response in the Rajya Sabha by Minis-
            ter of State for Home Nityanand Rai.                                                                  Heaton is travelling across India as
                Tourism has been identified as a                                                                  part of a personal challenge to visit
            key sector for the economic develop-                                                                  the country’s states and rank them
            ment of the islands. In the Andaman                                                                       based on his experiences.
            and Nicobar Islands, authorities are
            promoting eco-tourism, cruise, cul-                                                                       After visiting seven of India’s 28
            tural, heritage and adventure tourism                                                                 states, he placed Madhya Pradesh
            while developing new tourist circuits.                                                                fifth  in  his  current  ranking,  behind
            Innovative initiatives include caravan   Lakshadweep  is  similarly  ex-  nect several destinations, while fixed-  Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa and Kar-
            tourism, luxury tents, houseboats,   panding  its  tourism  infrastructure.   wing aircraft services to Diglipur,   nataka.
            bird watching and astro tourism.  Lagoon villas are being developed at   Car Nicobar and Campbell Bay are   Indore, which formed the main
                Several accommodation projects   Minicoy, Kadmat and Suheli, while   planned under UDAN.
            are also being developed through   50 luxury tents at Bangaram and      Lakshadweep is connected to   focus of his Madhya Pradesh trip,
                                                                                                                  made a particularly strong impres-
            the public-private partnership (PPP)   100  at  Thinnakara  are  operational.   the mainland by regular flights to Ag-  sion.  Heaton  highlighted  the  city’s
            model. Eco-tourism projects are un-  Thundi beach at Minicoy and Kad-  atti and by inter-island ferries. Sea-  cleanliness, saying it was noticeably
            derway at Shaheed Dweep, Aves,    mat beach have also received Blue   plane landing trials have also been   well maintained. He also praised the
            Long and Smith Islands, along with   Flag certification.            conducted at five islands.        warmth of local residents, recalling in-
            a  brownfield  project  for  the  Mega-  Improved connectivity is expect-  The government said the tour-  teractions in which people were keen
            pode  resort  at  Sri  Vijaya  Puram.   ed  to  support  the  expansion.  The   ism push, alongside infrastructure   to help and, on some occasions, re-
            Radhanagar beach has received Blue   new terminal at Veer Savarkar Inter-  and Blue Economy initiatives, is   fused to accept payment twice.
            Flag  certification,  while  infrastruc-  national Airport in Sri Vijaya Puram   intended to promote sustainable   Food  emerged  as  another  ma-
            ture at five other beaches has been   can handle up to 50 lakh passengers   growth and create greater livelihood   jor highlight of his visit. Heaton de-
            upgraded.                         annually.  Helicopter  services  con-  opportunities.
                                                                                                                  scribed Indore’s street-food scene as
                                                                                                                  the best he had experienced in India
             Gujarat Converts 17 Lighthouses into Tourism Attractions                                             so far, adding to the city’s appeal as
                                                                                                                  a destination for visitors looking be-
                                                                                                                  yond conventional tourist circuits.
                   ujarat is set to give its mari-  expand Gujarat’s tourism offerings   more  than  680  dolphins,  with  the   However,  Heaton  acknowl-
                   time tourism sector a major   beyond  conventional  destinations   largest population found in the Ma-  edged that his assessment of Madhya
            Gboost by developing 17 light-    and showcase the state’s long coast-  rine National Park and Sanctuary in   Pradesh was based on only a few days
            houses across the state as tourist at-  line and maritime heritage.  the Gulf of Kutch.               in Indore and that he had not ex-
            tractions, adding modern visitor facil-  The development is expected    The lighthouse initiative adds a   plored enough of the wider state. He
            ities to historic coastal landmarks.   to create new tourism opportunities   heritage dimension to this expanding   noted that destinations such as Goa
                                              along Gujarat’s coast, potentially   maritime  tourism  landscape.  Histor-  and Himachal Pradesh can create
            The initiative is aimed at turning the   benefiting local businesses and com-  ic lighthouses can offer visitors pan-  an immediate visual impact through
                                                                                oramic coastal views while also pro-
                                              munities through increased visitor
                                                                                                                  beaches and mountains, while Mad-
            lighthouses into destinations that   footfall.  The  state  has  increasingly   viding an opportunity to learn about   hya Pradesh’s attractions may require
            combine maritime heritage, sight-  focused on coastal and experiential   navigation, seafaring and the evolu-  more exploration.
                                                                                                                      His remarks have since prompted
                                                                                tion of India’s maritime infrastructure.
                                              tourism, seeking to diversify attrac-
            seeing and tourism experiences.   tions and encourage tourists to ex-   The move comes as Gujarat     viewers to encourage him to return
                                              plore destinations beyond major cit-  continues to promote tourism as an   and explore more cities across the
                The project will see selected   ies and established landmarks.  economic driver. Industry represen-  state.  With  Punjab  reportedly  next
            lighthouses equipped with facilities   Gujarat’s coastline already sup-  tatives have highlighted the potential   on his India itinerary, his continuing
            designed to make them more acces-  ports a range of marine attractions.   of experiential and coastal tourism to   state-by-state journey is generating
            sible  and  attractive  to  visitors.  The   A 2025 survey covering 4,087 sq km   generate employment and strength-  interest among viewers following his
            move is part of a broader effort to   of the state’s marine area recorded   en regional economies.    travel rankings.

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