Government to use the romance of light houses to draw in tourists

NEW DELHI: Lighthouses that dot India's coastal regions and remote islands are set to get a major tourist makeover. With their long history and scenic locations, both ingredients for a great tourist attraction, lighthouses could act as blockbusters for India's growing tourism sector, the government believes.

According to shipping ministry officials, areas adjoining lighthouses such as the one in Kanhoji Angre island near Mumbai port, Muttom near Kanyakumari, False Point near Paradip in Odisha and Minicoy in Lakshadweep will be developed as major tourism zones with facilities including resorts, ayurvedic resorts, convention centre, heritage trail and water sports. Some of these will be operational in less than two years from now.

The director general of lighthouses and lightships has envisaged the plans for these areas and sources said bids for developing such projects on public private partnership (PPP) model would be out in the next 6-8 months. Out of 189 lighthouses along the coasts or located in is lands about 32-33 can be developed for tourism activities.

"These projects will generate huge number of jobs and other economic opportunities for people," shipping minister Nitin Gadkari said while inaugurating the system of online collection of light dues of the DGLL on Monday .

So far, 15 lighthouses have been identified for tourism activities which include those in Mahabalipuram, Rameswaram, Konark, Dwarka, Sunk Rock (Mumbai) and Dolphin's Nose (Vishakhaptnam).