New ship to Lakshadweep

Special Correspondent KOCHI: The new ship from Kochi to Lakshadweep, mv Kavaratti, which was ‘dedicated to the people’ on Sunday, is expected to give a boost to tourism in the Union Territory. The 700-seat all-weather ship, with modern amenities and latest navigation tools, has 300 upper-class seats, many of which will be allotted to tourists. Lakshadweep Administrator B.V. Selvaraj, who dedicated the ship, hoped the ship would help attract more tourists to the group of islands and said the administration was planning to make Lakshadweep the ‘Maldives of India.’ Speaking after dedicating the ship, Mr. Selvaraj said tourism would be promoted without hurting the local culture and traditions and the ethnicity of the islanders. Of the roughly 40 islands in the chains of islands, only 11 have human... [read full story]