Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&NI) chief secretary Keshav Chandra said the archipelago boasts some of the most exquisite beaches in the world and holds a distinct advantage over other island destinations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

His remark comes in the backdrop of the row over the comments by Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India on social media.

Chandra said the Andaman and Nicobar administration has taken numerous initiatives to attract more tourists to the archipelago, including granting access to uninhabited islands, allowing beaches to remain open till late night and reaching out to more airline operators.

"The A&NI has pristine natural beauty, picturesque islands with beautiful sandy beaches offering a wide range of activities like sunbathing, snorkeling, swimming, game fishing, sunset/sunrise sighting, bird watching, trekking, kayaking etc," Chandra told PTI.

"The administration has taken various initiatives towards promotion of tourism... like development of a five-star property at Megapode in Port Blair in PPP mode, leasing out land at Radha Nagar Beach in Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island)," he said.

"Beaches are now being opened during late night hours for tourists to enjoy the heavenly sight of the landscape as well as the bio-luminescence. Efforts are being made to reach out to more airline operators that will lead to competitive and affordable pricing of tickets for tourists," he added.

The administration is also exploring possibilities to have international connectivity from Port Blair, especially the Southeast Asian countries where the tourism sector is a significant part of the economy.

"The UT administration is also exploring possibilities to have international connectivity from Port Blair to southeast Asian countries where the tourism sector is a significant part of the economy. This may enable cheaper air connectivity to these southeast Asian countries owing to their proximity to Port Blair," the chief secretary said.

This could enable cheaper air connectivity to these countries owing to their proximity to Port Blair, Chandra said.

"We have also granted access to various uninhabited islands for tourism activities and as a part of it, Cinque Island has recently been opened for day tourism (in high value and low volume tourism categories). Seaplane services are going to be operated soon from Port Blair to various inter-island destinations.

"Various policies for the promotion of tourism activities like bird watching, caravan, houseboat and luxury tent accommodation are also in the final stages," the chief secretary said.

Measures are also being taken to improve the nightlife experience, and as part of it, a night-cruise dinner facility is already in existence at Port Blair, besides houseboat and night kayaking, Chandra added.

It may be recalled that the government of the Maldives on Sunday suspended three deputy ministers for derogatory social media posts against Modi following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

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