Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The problems of the tourism industry are the basis for the action plans of the authorities Based on the survey, analysis of the views of the tourists, discussion with the tourists, personal visits of the important beaches, roads, places etc., informal discussion with the offices and officials, local people etc., some problems facing the tourism industry have been identified. There are some common problems due to the inadequate infrastructural facilities facing the tourism industry as a whole. Also, the tourists, both Indian as well as foreign, who visited these islands, faced a number of problems and difficulties while undertaking their travel / journey to and in these islands. Among them the major problems have been discussed and presented below under the following headings
Accommodation and Catering Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
Providing accommodation and good catering is the foremost function of tourism department, hotels, lodge owners etc. in order to attract more number of tourists. But most of the accommodations do not have proper catering facility. Some guest houses provide canteen facility but they exorbitant prices for the meals. This problem is more acute in inter islands. So the tourists are compelled to take food, from .outside the lodges where they stay. Since the cost of, ship journey is comparatively acceptable, at the arrival 01 charge ships there are a large number of tourists. At the time of large arrivals, the tourists find it difficult to get accommodation and food and it creates frustration among them. Non-availability of accustomed food (rice for South Indian and rotti for North Indian and the like) is another problem.
Mojor number of the lodges and accommodations are situated only in the Port Blair city. A large number of tourists, wishing to visit other islands, face a lot of problems for getting accommodation for the night and they have to come back on any account to Port Blair. Tourists who go to places like Wandoor, JollyBouy, and Redskin etc. face difficulties to get proper food in respective places. Of the fifty foreign tourists, 39 (78.0%) and 130 domestic tourists 22 (16.9%) expressed their level of satisfaction about accommodation as somewhat comfortable. 38 (29.2%) domestic tourists expressed that they faced a lot of problems. As far as the food is concerned, 78 tourists representing 43.3% of the sample expressed their satisfaction as “Unsatisfactory”. Most of the lodges do not have laundry, protected drinking water, proper ventilation, laboratory, mosquito net facilities and these lodges are in unhygienic conditions. Many of the sophisticated foreign tourists and the rich visitors feel that there is no chance to spend their money to their level of satisfaction due to the lack of luxurious star hotels.
Transport Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
There are two kinds of transport problems, faced by the tourists arriving at Port Blair, the problems related to the transport between the Mainland and the Islands and the problems related to the Inter-Islands transport. As far as the former case is concerned, non-availability of tickets for both flights as well as ships, high cost of transport and wastage of time are the general problems of the tourists. The tourists cannot plan according to their own convenience because it would never suit the shipping programme and the availability of tickets. Out of the total sample, 98 tourists including 92 domestic tourists and 6 foreign tourists have expressed that they faced intolerable problems due to the above reasons, and 34 tourists said that they are dissatisfied. Also Visit – Short Trip to Andaman
Ship Management Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
There is no proper control, facility etc. inside the ships. Such inefficient management adds fuel to the transport problems. The result is that the bunk passengers continuously use the toilets and bathrooms meant for the cabin class passengers. These activities of the bunk passengers create frustration in the minds of tourists.
Passenger Waiting Hall Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
Lack of passenger waiting hall at the mainland ports is another frustrating problem. The author witnessed three times at the Chennai Port, the passengers running from one place to another to take shelter when there it was raining. Finally some went into the Shipping Corporation of India’s godown and some stood under the crane engine. Most of the luggage kept lying in the open yard and in the rain. There is no guest house facility near the harbours in the mainland.
Getting Tickets Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
This is another problem. At present the tickets are reserved in Port Blair. Tourists have to contact the SCI or the Directorate of Shipping of the A & N Administration situated in the mainland for the reservation of tickets. In this process, the communication gap plays an adverse role.
Entertainment and Recreation problems in Andaman
As far as the entertainment and recreational facilities are concerned, the Television, Radio, Vioeo and Cable connections, provided by the hotels, are comparitively less.
It is found that majority of the hotels, due to their smallness in size, do not provide all entertainment and recreational facilities. Only very few hotels provide such facility.
Sewage Disposal problems in Andaman
Tourists come to these islands with high expectations. At the moment they arrive at Port Blair, they feel disgusted when they cross the loathsome sewage spots, cow dung on the main roads, pan spits, coconut waste, dirty insects’ resorts, harmful garbage etc. Some senseless persons throw wastes, empty bottles, bodies of the dead animals, empty packages into gutters which results in the blocking of sewage. All this spoils the beauty of the beautiful islands.
Lighting Facility Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
Carbyn’s Cove, Wandoor, Chidiatappu are some of the best beaches around Port Blair. Besides these beaches, Havelock, Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay also has good beaches. Of all the beaches, only Carbyn’s Cove, the Channai Marina of Port Blair, has lighting facility. But there is no lighting facility for the roads which go to Carbyin’s Cove beach. The same is the case with the other beaches also. Those tourists, who want to enjoy sea breeze at night, are unable to stay at the beach after 5.30 pm due to lack of lighting facility. Due to this problem and lack of security facility, some immoral activities on some tourists are witnessed. Also Visit – Port Blair 3 Nights Package
Maintenance problems in Andaman
Particularly the beaches are not properly maintained and developed. The beaches are dressed with empty liquor bottles, cowdungs, rotten animal bodies, harmful stones and broken timbers with some iron nails, waste of coconut trees etc. Some people, residing near the shore or beach, use the beauty beach for their open toilet purposes. So the tourists find it very difficult to locate a place in the beaches to sit and gossip, converse and chit chat. There is no seating arrangement in the beaches.
Shopping Complex
The Andaman Nicobar islands are industrially backward area. Economically, it is still at the infant stage. Only very recently, the Port Blair City is becoming famous for shell crafts and other handicraft products. It is felt by the majority of the tourists that these handicrafts products are quoted at extraordinary high price. To regulate the flow and prices of such products, in A&N Islands, there is no fair price shop or shopping complex. Twenty seven tourists expressed that they are not satisfied with the shopping facilities available in the A&N islands.
Public Toilets Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
For the healthy tourism, the quality of the physical environment is the basis for attracting the tourists. The surroundings are very essential for this tourism industry because it attracts tourists through their outstanding beauty and recreational facilities Public toilet facility is totally absent in the important beaches like Carbyn’s Cove, Wandoor etc. Very recently, the Andaman Nicobar Administration has constructed some public toilets at very important places and that too when some of them are kept closed and the majority of them do not function at all. Also Visit – Port Blair Havelock Honeymoon Package
There is no ‘pay and use’ toilet unit in these islands. Especially during the temple festivals, govt. celebrations etc. the people gather at one place i.e the places where the celebrations and festivals are organised. The people use the public places as their open toilet which causes heavy damages to the beauty of the sea shore, road side, and public grounds like Gymkhana Ground, Netaji Ground etc., and the quality of environment. Hence, the need for public toilets is many times greater than existing facility. At present, the beaches, particularly Carbyan’s Cove, are also used for fishing and due to this careless management the shores and beaches get heavily polluted.
Bus Terminus Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
Port Blair has only one bus terminus situated at Aberdeen Bazar. There is no taxi stand anywhere in these islands. The existing bus terminus is not comfortable to the travellers due to the lack of adequate waiting hall or other shelter facilities. The present bus terminus is seen always crowded. There is no display of the bus timings and no systematic control and announcements of bus departure time. The author himself witnessed many times that the passengers were greatly vexed and worried by frequently changing the buses before the departure time. Person at the enquiry counter is hardly seen by the passengers.
Tourist face language problem in Andaman
Andaman Nicobar islands is a miniature India. People from different parts of India live on these islands. About 33 languages are being spoken on these islands. But the business sector is dominated by the Tamilians and Panjabies. Tourists coming from different parts of India and abroad to the A&N islands face language problem.
Entertainment outside the Stay in Andaman
Entertainment facilities are less in the Port Blair city and are absolutely absent in the inter-islands. There are only 5 theatres in these islands and that too all the theatres are situated in the Port Blair city. Tourists do not enjoy the cinemas screened in these theatres becasue they might have already seen these films not less than atleast one year before in the mainland. The following are the main things absent in this territory. Also Visit – Port Blair Havelock Package
- Acquarium
- Exhibition Hall
- Fresh water swimming pool
- Museum
- Rope ways
- Cinema theatres in the inter-islands
Lack of Ropeways and Lifts
Here in A&N islands, the ropeways is absolutely absent though it could be easily made for which there are a lot of pointing points available. Almost all the tourists expressed that the absence of ropeways is a great handicap to the tourism of A&N Islands.
During Summer Vacation Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
All schools and colleges under this Andaman Nicobar Administration have their summer vacation during the months of May, June and July of every year. So the reservation of tickets for both ships and flights starts from the month of January onwards to go from Andaman Nicobar islands to mainland and from the month of April onwards to come to Andaman Nicobar islands from the mainland. During this period, though it is an off season for the tourism, getting tickets to go to and come from the mainland is really a problem for the tourists. Unnecessary blocking of the tickets in the air reservation and the ship reservation by the influential persons adds fuel to the burning problem. Many tourists expressed that they could not go to the mainland due to the teachers’ sailing etc.
Less Developed Places
Generally, the places developed in these islands for the purpose of tourism are very few. Again, quantum of development of these places is also less. Places like Gyrnkana Ground, Marina Park, Wandoor Beach, Chidiatappu Sand Beach, Radhanagar Beach, Lalgi Beach, Carbyn’s Cove Beach, way to the Carbyn’s Cove Beach can very well be developed to the fullest satisfaction of the tourists.
Absence of Folk Dance Tours problem in Andaman
A & N islands are a peculiar place containing all types of people i.e from all regions of our India, aborigins of these islands. Folk dances of each region and aborigin like jarawas, Onges, Nicobarese etc. could very well be arranged and developed in order to promote tourism. But such dances are totally absent in the area of tourism. Tourists, by comparing the Goa folk dance tourism/tours, eagerly asked about the folk dance tours. Also Visit – Port Blair Havelock Neil Island Package
Tourist Guides Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
Availability of Tourist Guides in Andaman Nicobar islands is another problem. The Govt. of India Tourist Office, located in Junglighat, has been giving training to the candidates. But the very unhappy news is that no one shows much interest in such courses. Hence, they could arrange for only 7 tourists guides. The rates, fixed by the Govt. of India, Tourist Office is comparatively higher and hence, the hoteliers are reluctant (little bit) to hire the services of the tourist guides. Moreover, they are engaged in some other jobs. So their availability at the time of their requirement is also doubtful and hence the tourists face a lot of problmes.
Postal Services problem in Andaman
The way the postal department functions is another problem to the tourism sector. The Andaman Nicobar islands have only one Head Post Office with some other branch offices. But the Head Post Office works like any other government department. The office is opened in time i.e at 9.00 hrs and closes at 16.30 hrs. This territory is not like mainland where always train services and bus services are available. Here people believe in only the air service for their quick means of communication. But the Head Post Office functions like the mainland offices. So the tourists find it very difficult to post letters Registered, Insured etc. on all public holidays and Sundays and even for Saraswathi Puja the Head Post Office is closed.
Mile Stones and Pillars problem in Andaman
Mile-stones, Sign posts and Name plates are the best friends for new visitors to any place. These are totally absent in this territory. If there is any important minister’s visit to these islands, one can see some name boards, made out of wooden plates, for a period of one or two days or at the maximum of ten days and then they stay at the mercy of white ants and the rain. After that it disappears forever. Due to the lack of concrete mile pillars and sign posts in these islands, it is not possible for the tourists to calculate the kilometers run and to be run. Also Visit – Andaman Honeymoon Package
Water Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
The Andaman Nicobar islands receive an average annual rainfall of little more than 3000 mm. The rainfall, received from both the southwest and north east monsoons, is spread over a period of 6 to 7 months. During the next four months (summer season) the rain fall is scanty and there is an acute shortage of water supply even for drinking purpose. At present there is one water storage tank in A&N islands called Dhanikhari Tank. During the summer season tourists find it difficult to take bath. Most of the beaches lack the supply of soft water facility. Almost all the tourists take bath in the sea water but there is no facility for them to take bath in the soft water after that. Even common ‘pay and use’ bathing facility is not available on these islands. However, in the Carbyn’s Cove beach, soft water is provided but water comes at tortoise speed, full of dirt and small insects. It is in open area. So ladies cannot take bath by using the tap water. Since it is in the open area and there is a long queue to take bath in the soft water. Sometimes, water is not available throughout the day.
Other Problems Faced by Tourists in Andaman
Besides the above problems, there are other problems like parking problem, problems due to the narrow roads, one or two theft cases, low payment in the hotels to their employees, absence of publicity, high rate of taxi fares, Lack of pertol pumps in the other islands like Rangat, Mayabunder, Diglipur, Katchal etc., lack of helicopter services to the inter-islands, lack of rail transport, lack of foreign exchange facility in all the banks etc. worry the tourism industry of Andaman Nicobar islands.
After studying and identifying the problems of the tourism in Andaman Nicobar islands, it is very clear that the tourism promotion is yet to attract the attention of the policy makers, planners, hoteliers, researchers, authorities of Andaman Nicobar Administration, Govt. of India etc. to develop this industry in these far flung islands. Though this potential territory has a number of tourism resources, the tourism, the smokeless industry and eco-friendly industry has not been fully taken care of. Hence, it is necessary to offer some valuable suggestions for the tourism planning, tourism development and to promote tourism in the context of environmental protection and its conservation in the Andaman Nicobar islands by taking its carrying capacity and other sensitive issues.
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