Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Nov 18: The Administration claims that Tourism is the main industry of Andaman and Nicobar Islands but sadly in almost all tourist spots tourists are facing huge problems on daily basis.
Although tour operators are providing their best service but due to lack of proper infrastructure, often tourists are going back with bitter experience about these Islands.
For example on 17 November around 94 tourists remained stranded at Neil Island because of lack of adequate number of ferries from Neil Island.
Neil Island is fast becoming a tourist hotspot, every visitor visiting Andaman and Nicobar Islands wants to go to Neil and Havelock Island.
Everyday hundreds of tourists reach Neil Island from Port Blair as well as from Havelock Island and almost everyday there is a struggle for tourists to get a return ticket from Havelock Island.
Unlike Havelock Island, from Neil Island getting return ticket is difficult. It is also impossible to book return ticket for Neil Islands from Port Blair as Neil is not connected with STARS system. Adding to the plight there is always shortage of ferry vessels and most of the vessels sent to Neil Island are of 100 pax capacity.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha former Padhan of Neil Islands Ramdas alleged that in last one month, in more than six occasions tourists got stranded at Neil Island due to lack of sufficient number of ferries to Neil Island.
“Tourists stranded at Neil go back with a negative impression about Neil Island, which is damaging for Neil Island’s future. It seems that it is a high level conspiracy to damage the Neil Island Tourism business so that other destination gets an edge,” Ramdas added.
The Administration must think several times before opening an Island for tourism and once it is opened the Administration ensure that Tourists are getting adequate attention and satisfactory services or else negative mouth publicity will slowly kill Andaman Tourism.
