• A&N NEWS
• 2 Years, 11 Months ago
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AMID GROWING TOURIST FOOTFALLS

AMID GROWING TOURIST FOOTFALLS Stakeholders seek relaunch of floating restaurants, permitting casinos ROOPA LALL PORT BLAIR, SEPT 25/--/ With increasing tourist footfalls in Andaman & Nicobar Islands,  a section of tourism stakeholders in the islands have underscored the need to relaunching of floating restaurants by ANIIDCO. It may be recalled that during 2015-2017, ANIIDCO with the support of the Department of Shipping Services had launched a floating restaurant by converting the vessel ‘MV Panchavati’ into a floating restaurant operating till late night. Tourists and locals were able to enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience at the first-ever floating restaurant in the islands. Besides providing the experience of dining on a moving vessel, the floating restaurant was also offering tourists and locals an opportunity to spend the night at the vessel enjoying the beautiful nocturnal ambience of the islands.  MV Panchavati, the DSS vessel was modified with facilities like Bar, Restaurant and AC Rooms. Gradually, it started attracting tourists and in no time it became a famous pass time for tourists and locals as an evening destination.  This venture was a successful model from the 2015-2017. But suddenly, citing low occupancy, ANIIDCO abandoned the project and since 2018, MV Panchavati is berthed at Cholunga Jetty. Before the launch of MV Panchawati as a floating restaurant, the Tourism department of the Administration also proposed a project of launching a floating restaurant. Accordingly, a SCI vessel ‘MV Ramanujam’ was purchased at Rs one crore from SCI. However, the project from the beginning was marred by controversies and the initiative never took off. MV Ramanujam is presently dumped in a dilapidated condition at Panighat jetty.  Night clubs and casinos are part of nightlife in most exquisite tourist destinations around the world. In India, casinos have taken strong roots in Goa with a number of offshore casinos fused with the landscape helping the tourism industry to grow. Like Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands too have the same landscape and all the required ingredients for a booming casino business. Undoubtedly, the decision to open casinos in the islands will not be a smooth sail for the administration as it will be met with strong opposition from various corners, including political parties. It will also give a tool to almost all political parties in the islands to oppose this decision. But this had to be done sooner or later. For some in the tourism industry this is the right time to open casinos in the islands, despite all opposition. The reality is that the planners of the tourism policy have to formulate a policy on casinos which advocates formulation of sustainable strategies in order to maximise gains from casinos and counteract its prospective ill-effects of casino gambling. Casinos need to be promoted in tourism areas due to their assumed capability of being the largest employers and their potential to attract a huge number of tourists who otherwise might not have considered visiting the tourism destination. Though, there are  potential negative aspects of casino development, this can be checked by taking  necessary safeguards. Formulating a casino policy and establishment of a casino controlling regulatory authority can become the guiding force for running this business.