More travellers are exploring the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, new figures have revealed.
The data, released by India’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Civil Aviation, showed that in the last five years, visits to the islands by Indian travellers have jumped 58%, from 188,781 in 2010 to more than 285,000 last year.
And the islands are also attracting more international travellers; 17,200 overseas visitors arrived in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in 2014, up 18% compared to 2010.
The ministry said that factors responsible for the growth include improved connectivity, the availability of reasonably priced hotel accommodation and the improvement of tourism infrastructure on the islands. Air India, Jet Airways and GoAir all fly from mainland India to Port Blair, the capital of the islands, but there are no direct international connections.
Located in the Bay of Bengal, closer to Myanmar than to India, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are home to indigenous tribes, including the Sentinelese people, who are notoriously resistant to contact with outsiders.
But the 572 islands that make up the archipelago are also a potential tourism paradise, with stunning tropical beaches and unspoiled forests.
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