The Andaman Nicobar Tour Operators Association (ANTOA) marked its 9th Anniversary on Monday as the Andaman and Nicobar Administration outlined efforts to diversify tourism beyond established destinations, including the opening of 12 dive sites in North and Middle Andaman and the promotion of newer activities.
The anniversary programme brought tourism stakeholders together to discuss the sectorβs future development. Vinayak Chamadia, IAS, Secretary, Information, Publicity & Tourism, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, attended as Chief Guest, while N. Velmurugan, Assistant Director, India Tourism (MOT), SVPM, was the Guest of Honour.
The Tourism Department has asked tour operators to give greater attention to North and Middle Andaman, Little Andaman and other offbeat locations rather than concentrating only on traditional tourist circuits.
As part of this approach, the Administration has opened 12 dive sites in North and Middle Andaman. Private operators have been encouraged to establish dive centres and take visitors to the newly opened locations.
Little Andaman is another area identified for tourism expansion. The Administration said development there is progressing gradually and expressed the expectation that several resorts could come up within about a year, potentially adding accommodation capacity and tourism opportunities in the area.
The department is also introducing additional visitor facilities and activities at existing tourist locations. Recreational facilities and play equipment are being developed at several popular sites, while an immersive virtual reality experience at Gandhi Park is expected to become functional around October.
Night kayaking has also been identified among the newer activities being promoted. Tourism operators have been urged to include such experiences while presenting less-established destinations to visitors.
The anniversary programme also includes recognition of contributions from media organisations and tourism stakeholders. In remarks shared before the event, the Tourism Department acknowledged the role of media organisations and channels in the tourism sectorβs development over the past nine years.
The Administration has sought suggestions from tourism stakeholders on further development of the sector and said recommendations would be considered while framing future initiatives.
The associationβs 9th-anniversary theme, βStronger Together, Building Andaman Tourism,β reflects the Administrationβs emphasis on cooperation between government, tourism operators and media in developing the sector.
