Lakshadweep: Can India's 'alternative Maldives' handle mass tourism?

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Indian archipelago Lakshadweep triggered an unexpected row that soured ties with neighbouring Maldives. It also set off a surge in tourist interest in the small island chain that has worried ecological experts and many locals.

On his visit to Lakshadweep - a federally administered territory that lies in the Arabian Sea, to the north of Maldives - Mr Modi had announced a slew of development projects and shared photos of himself snorkelling and enjoying its beaches.

Three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory comments about him, sparking outrage on Indian social media and prompting many to highlight Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination.

It seems to be working - Google searches for Lakshadweep, which doesn't often make it to primetime news, jumped to an all-time high last week. MakeMyTrip, India's largest online travel company, said it saw a 3,400% increase in searches for Lakshadweep on its platform after Mr Modi's trip.

Praful Patel, the region's government administrator whose controversial policies set off "unprecedented protests" from locals in Lakshadweep a couple of years ago, has welcomed the attention.

"The natural beauty of Lakshadweep carries immense possibilities for development of the tourism sector. The administration has launched several initiatives, including adding more rooms," he told news agency PTI.

The Tata Group has announced plans to open two "world-class" resorts on two Lakshadweep islands by 2026 (the archipelago has 36 islands - only 10 are inhabited - spread over 32 sq km (12.3 sq miles)). The only airline that currently flies to Lakshadweep has started additional flights and another plans to launch a service soon.

But