All roads lead to Lakshadweep! Thomas Cook sees 950% rise, SOTC sees 200% surge in search data related to island travel

Seems like all roads, boats and airplanes are headed towards Lakshadweep after Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared images of the pristine island and sun-kissed beaches on social media. The natural beauty of Lakshadweep archipelago has seen a surge in interest from across the nation following PM Modi's recent visit, so-much-so that travel operators are witnessing almost ten-fold rise in searches.

Talking about Lakshadweep's newfound place under the spotlight, Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, says, "With the Honourable Prime Minister’s recent visit to Lakshadweep and encouragement to Indians to explore the islands within the country, we have witnessed an uptick in our searches for both domestic islands and beach destinations." 

The leading travel firm has seen a major interest in the Lakshadweep island in particular. "Our search data for Lakshadweep indicates a significant jump of over 950% compared to December, followed by destinations like Andamans, Goa, Kerala’s Kovalam, Daman and Diu - a clear catalyst for domestic tourism," Rajeev adds.

Daniel D’Souza, President & Country Head - Holidays, SOTC Travel, seconds this, saying that PM's clarion call for domestic tourist spots has shone the searchlight on gems like Lakshadweep. "The honourable Prime Minister’s initiative to inspire Indians to explore our country’s less explored/hidden gem Lakshadweep and its pristine islands have successfully garnered significant attention and interest from the country," he opines. 

Talking about the recent surge of interest in Lakshadweep, he informs, "The island destination has become the most searched destination across the world today and our search data indicates a surge of almost 200% on our portal for Lakshadweep cruise sailings."

The tour operators expect that the new-found interest in the island will help improve the infrastructure and tourist facilities. "We anticipate that this surge in interest and demand will encourage authorities to strengthen the infrastructure in the destination and establish direct connectivity to boost tourism in the destination," D’Souza opines.

Similarly, travel portal MakeMyTrip has seen an uptick of 3400% in searches, Raj Rishi Singh, Chief Marketing and Business Officer of MakeMyTrip told ANI. "Lakshadweep has seen a remarkable 3400% increase in on-platform searches ever since PM's visit. This inspired us to build a 'Beaches of India' campaign. Under this, the customers can get knowledge about the beaches of India. We are also providing remarkable deals and discounts under this," he added.

#WATCH | On the row over Maldives MP's post on PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, Raj Rishi Singh, Chief Marketing and Business Officer, MakeMyTrip says "Lakshadweep has seen a remarkable 3400% increase in on-platform searches ever since PM's visit. This inspired us to build a… pic.twitter.com/xFYSBUsitc

— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2024

Boost to infra 

Apart from the fillip from the Prime Minister's Office, the tourism department has recently suggested more projects in Lakshadweep archipelago — which consists of 36 islands, ten of which are inhabited.

The iconic Paradise Island huts are among the government-led tourism activities handled by SPORTS (Society for Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports). Also, a new Smart City concept calls for the establishment of a 90-room hotel.

The first water villa project in India, undertaken by an Indian group, stands out as a significant endeavour in the private sector. 

PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep on January 2 and uploaded various photos, including a 'exhilarating experience' of him diving.

And those early morning walks along the pristine beaches were also moments of pure bliss. pic.twitter.com/soQEIHBRKj

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024

PM Modi tweeted photos of white beaches, clean blue skies, and the ocean on X and tagged them with the caption, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list."

This boom in tourism development heralds a new era in Lakshadweep's travel landscape.  

(With Agency Inputs)