As far as we know, nobody in Andamans have oppossed LTC tourists from
visitng the Islands. The real problem is with those who visit and manage
fake hotel bills and vehicle bills and claim their allowance from respective
companies without spending. That needs to be checked. Or, the hoteliers and
tour operators will have to close down. Andaman is the only place where
tourists make money. Regards, Zubair

On 10/3/07, Lima Rosalind <lrosalind@...> wrote:
>
> I am really surprised at this protest by the local hoteliers! One is
> compelled to ask what percent of the revenue/profits that they have earned
> through tourism ( read selling the beaches and the wilderness) have they
> reinvested for the upkeep of the myriad beaches and the wilderness
> areas? Whoever categorised travel to exotic places like the Andamans only
> the right of "high spenders". Its really appalling.
>
> Lima Rosalind
>
>
> On 9/28/07, Pankaj Andaman <psekhsaria@... <psekhsaria%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> > Hoteliers protest against low-budget Andaman tourism
> > http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-29748020070927
> >
> > Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:28pm IST
> >
> > PORT BLAIR, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of tour operators and hotel
> > owners in the Andaman islands protested on Thursday against a scheme to
> > fly budget tourists to the islands, saying it had stopped wealthier
> > travellers from visiting.
> >
> > India recently allowed all level of government employees to use their
> > leave allowances to fly to the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the remotest
> > part of its territory, as it tried to boost the tourism-dependent
> > economy following the catastrophic tsunami of 2004.
> >
> > Many low-wage workers jumped at the chance to take their first flight
> > and visit the islands' famed beaches, forests, coral reefs and tribal
> > cultures -- a perk once reserved for only senior state employees.
> >
> > But islanders working in the tourism industry say crowds of
> > cost-conscious tourists are straining resources without generating much
> > income.
> >
> > "They visit the Andamans for at most a day and go back hardly spending
> > any money," said G. Bhasker, general secretary of the Andaman Chamber of
> > Commerce and Industries.
> >
> > "Agents are blocking tickets in bulk, preventing up-market tourists who
> > are genuinely interested in visiting our islands."
> >
> > Hundreds of protesters chose World Tourism Day to shout slogans outside
> > the tourism directorate in Port Blair, the archipelago's capital, and
> > threatened further protests if the government did not listen.
> >
> > The island's chief secretary promised to look into their complaints.
> >
> > Authorities expect more than 150,000 tourists will visit the islands
> > this year, but some estimate that around 80 percent of those are
> > low-wage state employees.
> >
> > --
> >
> > http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
> >
> > C/o Kalpavriksh
> > Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
> > 908 Deccan Gym
> > Pune 411004
> > India
> > Tel: 020 25654239
> > Mob: 09423009933
> > Email: psekhsaria@... <psekhsaria%40gmail.com> <psekhsaria%
> 40gmail.com>
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


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