India’s government is planning to develop 78 lighthouses as tourist destinations, using a number of attractions to entice visitors to the country’s coastline.
Operating under a public private partnership model, India’s shipping ministry has drawn up plans to use the lighthouses as tourism sites. Working with the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), land adjacent to the sites will be used to develop hotels, resorts, galleries, maritime museums and other tourist attractions.
Initially, the plan will be implemented to eight lighthouses in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to a statement from the Shipping Ministry, an expression of interest has been issued by DGLL for another 70 lighthouses which are being used because of their scenic backdrop, in addition to their maritime heritage.
The DGLL has already carried out similar work, redeveloping sites around lighthouses in Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Alleppy and Cannanore. The country offers 189 total lighthouses across its 7,517km (4,670m) coastline.
