India’s lighthouse tourism rises to 18.63 lakh visitors in 2024-25, additional 25 lighthouses proposed

New Delhi: Lighthouse tourism in India has risen from about 4 lakh visitors in 2014 to 18.63 lakh in 2024–25, and 75 lighthouses have been developed as tourism destinations to preserve their historical and architectural significance, a government factsheet said on Saturday.

With a coastline stretching over 11,000 km and 205 lighthouses, India is now reimagining these historic maritime guardians.

“Today, the lighthouse is becoming much more than a distant landmark. Its first purpose remains unchanged: helping vessels navigate safely along India's coastline. Around that enduring role, however, a new chapter is taking shape. Lighthouse stations are being upgraded and opened to the public,” said the official statement.

Some of these include the Mandvi Lighthouse and Dwarka Lighthouse in Gujarat, Tadri Lighthouse in Karnataka, Pamban Lighthouse in Tamil Nadu, and Vizhinjam Lighthouse in Kerala.

A digital ticketing portal has also been launched under the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), bringing the visitor experience onto a common digital platform.

According to the statement, lighthouses have become part of India's wider maritime information network.

Around 87 Automatic Identification System (AIS) shore stations have been installed on lighthouses along the coast. This ensures that the beam remains dependable, responsive, and ready to guide vessels safely.

“AIS is a ship and shore-based data broadcast system in accordance with SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea). It is a powerful tool for enhancing situational awareness, thereby contributing to the safety of navigation and efficiency of shipping traffic management,” said the statement.

India also has dedicated lighthouse museums at Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Alappuzha, Kannur, Muttom, Dwarka and Gopnath (Gujarat).

The transformation has also created something that a conventional project rarely produces — a festival around the lighthouse itself.

The first edition was held at Fort Aguada in Goa in 2023. The second moved to Puri in Odisha in 2024, while the third edition was held in Visakhapatnam in 2026.

An additional 25 lighthouses are proposed for development as tourism destinations, expanding the network beyond the 75 sites already opened to visitors.

Four lighthouses are being established along the Brahmaputra at Pandu, Bogibeel, Silghat and Biswanath Ghat. They will be India's first lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway with a combined outlay of about Rs 84 crore.

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