THE EAST COAST OPPORTUNITY : Why India’s eastern shoreline has not become a connected tourism powerhouse

THE EAST COAST OPPORTUNITY

Why India’s eastern shoreline has not become a connected tourism powerhouse—and what it would take to change that

A Biz Masala Big Story | By Murthy ASR

A cruise ship at an east-coast port: maritime infrastructure can bring visitors to the coast, but destinations must give them a reason to stay and spend. Image supplied for this story; location/date and reuse rights should be verified before publication.

A ship the size of a floating city can arrive at an Indian port. A highway can trace the shoreline. Temples, mangroves, lagoons, fishing communities, colonial streets and long beaches sit within reach of one another. Yet the eastern seaboard has not been turned into a seamless, multi-state tourism economy on the scale that its geography might suggest.

That is the question worth investigating—not whether the East Coast has “no tourism”. It plainly does. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh attract very large domestic visitor numbers, while West Bengal has a substantial international-visitor base. The deeper issue is whether those visits translate into longer stays, high local spending, repeat leisure travel and a strong pipeline of private hospitality investment. National tourism statistics count visits to entire states; they do not tell us how much value coastal districts capture. That distinction should be central to this story. [1]

The coastline itself is longer than many older estimates suggest. In 2025, India revised its total measured coastline from 7,516.6 km to 11,098.81 km using updated mapping methods. Under that revised series, Andhra Pradesh measures 1,053.07 km, Tamil Nadu 1,068.69 km, Odisha 574.71 km, West Bengal 721.02 km and Puducherry 42.65 km—a combined 3,460 km. These figures should not be compared casually with older shoreline measurements, because the measurement methodology changed. [2]

The central thesis: not a shortage of beaches, but a shortage of connected experiences

A coastline does not become a tourism economy merely because it has sand, scenery or a port. Visitors need to reach it easily, feel safe, find clean public spaces, have reliable food and accommodation, book experiences, and move between attractions without friction. Investors need year-round demand, predictable permissions, utilities, clear land titles, climate-resilient sites and a credible destination-management body.

Editorial framework created for Biz Masala. The value chain illustrates why isolated infrastructure projects often fail to produce a durable visitor economy.

A cruise terminal is a useful case study. Visakhapatnam’s International Cruise Terminal was inaugurated in September 2023, with a project cost reported by the government at about ₹77 crore in the tourism release; the port authority later described an investment of about ₹96 crore. The different figures appear to reflect different project accounting or reporting scopes and should not be collapsed into one without reconciliation. [3] [4]

More important than the cost is the operational lesson. An Andhra Pradesh government economic-region report says the terminal’s potential remains under-realised, citing the approach road, limited nearby amenities and too few attractions immediately around the terminal. It proposes a broader menu of short cruises, regional circuits and shore excursions. The terminal is an asset; a functioning cruise destination is a whole ecosystem. [5]

Why the East Coast has struggled to scale leisure tourism

1. Geography is an asset—but not every beach is a resort beach

The Bay of Bengal coast includes sandy beaches, estuaries, deltas, lagoons, mangroves, turtle-nesting areas, fishing harbours and heavily urbanised stretches. Those landscapes are not interchangeable. Some are suitable for swimming and resort development; others are better suited to birding, guided boat trips, cultural tourism or conservation-led experiences. Strong surf, seasonal storms, coastal erosion, flooding and shifting shorelines can make conventional beachfront construction costly or inappropriate.

The erosion numbers underline the need for site-by-site planning. A national assessment covering 1990–2018 identified erosion along substantial stretches of the coast, including 42.7% of the Tamil Nadu shoreline, 28.7% in Andhra Pradesh, 25.6% in Odisha and 60.5% in West Bengal under that assessment’s older coastline baseline. These are not current beach-by-beach risk ratings, but they warn against treating all coastal land as stable development inventory. [6]

Coastal roads can be part of the visitor experience, but development must account for erosion, access, habitat and maintenance. The supplied image’s exact location and rights require verification.

2. The product is fragmented

A visitor may know Puri for pilgrimage, Mamallapuram for heritage, Puducherry for its French-era urban character, Visakhapatnam for its beaches and hill views, the Godavari delta for waterways, and the Sundarbans for mangroves and wildlife. These are powerful individual products. What is often missing is a bookable itinerary that links them with dependable transport, curated local experiences, quality accommodation and a consistent visitor-service standard.

The East Coast should not try to become one continuous beach-resort strip. It should become a portfolio of different reasons to travel: heritage weekends, temple-and-coast circuits, wildlife and wetlands, food trails, surfing and water sports where safe, river and backwater experiences, cruise stopovers, wellness retreats and meetings-and-events tourism.

3. Public infrastructure is not the same as visitor infrastructure

Ports are built to move cargo; highways are built to move people and goods; airports are built to connect cities. Tourism requires a further layer: attractive and safe approaches, signs, toilets, parking, shaded promenades, public transport, lifeguards, emergency response, accessible facilities, waste management, local guides, evening activities and a reliable online booking experience. When these basics are absent, visitors may make a short stop but spend little time or money locally.

The same logic applies to hotels. A luxury resort cannot compensate for an unpleasant arrival, weak local experiences or a destination that empties after sunset. Investors look for a repeatable business case—not just a scenic photograph or a policy announcement.

4. Policy announcements need a delivery mechanism

Andhra Pradesh’s Tourism Policy 2024–29 explicitly identifies connectivity gaps, infrastructure deficits, insufficiently diversified offerings, low visibility, skill shortages and a low share of high-spending foreign tourists as challenges. It proposes anchor destinations, beach circuits, cruise tourism, backwater tourism, experiential tourism and private investment. That is evidence that the problem is recognised; the test is implementation, project completion and visitor spending. [7]

Odisha has a tourism policy and amendments in 2026, while Puducherry advertises investment opportunities in hotels, resorts, eco-tourism and heritage properties. The point, therefore, is not that governments have done nothing. It is whether plans are coordinated across departments, funded, maintained and measured against outcomes rather than announcements. [8] [9]

5. Climate risk and conservation are economic issues

Cyclones, coastal flooding, erosion, heat and water stress affect insurance, construction costs, operating days and investor confidence. But environmental protection should not be framed simply as a barrier. Mangroves, turtle nesting beaches, wetlands and estuaries can be the core of differentiated, premium experiences—provided visitor numbers, access and local livelihoods are managed carefully. The objective is not to build everywhere; it is to build the right product in the right place.

Where the opportunity lies: five tourism engines

Tourism engine	Potential geography / examples	What must be built
Heritage + spiritual circuits	Puri–Konark; Chennai–Mamallapuram; temple towns of Andhra Pradesh	Timed itineraries, clean transport links, interpretation, evening economy and quality stays
Nature + community tourism	Sundarbans; Chilika; Pulicat; Coringa and Godavari delta landscapes	Small-group guides, safety, conservation fees, community-owned stays and visitor limits
Coastal leisure hubs	Selected stretches around Visakhapatnam, Bheemili and suitable Tamil Nadu beaches	Public beach management, lifeguards, sanitation, food, water sports and resilient design
Cruise + river experiences	Visakhapatnam and Chennai cruise nodes; suitable river/backwater routes	Reliable shore excursions, short cruises, booking integration and port-to-city access
Wellness, food and events	Puducherry; coastal cuisine routes; conference and cultural venues	Distinctive local product, trained workforce, year-round event calendar and quality standards

What can be done—and how

1. Pick a small number of anchor destinations first. Do not spread capital thinly across every beach. Select 6–8 locations using demand, access, ecological carrying capacity, safety and private-investment readiness. Publish the criteria and the baseline.

2. Build 48-hour and 4-day products, not isolated attractions. For each anchor, create itineraries that bundle transport, stays, food, guided experiences and entry tickets. Make them bookable online in one place and available in more than one price band.

3. Establish destination-management teams. Each anchor needs one accountable team spanning tourism, local government, transport, police, environment, port or forest authorities, and private operators. Give it a service-level dashboard and a budget for maintenance.

4. Make public spaces work before subsidising luxury rooms. Prioritise clean toilets, waste collection, lighting, safe bathing zones, lifeguards, signs, last-mile transport and emergency response. These basics benefit every operator and reduce the risk of expensive under-used resorts.

5. Use public money to de-risk shared infrastructure. Government should fund or coordinate access roads, utilities, shoreline studies, public spaces and common facilities. Private capital can then develop hotels, attractions, food streets, marinas or activity businesses through transparent leases and concessions.

6. Make climate resilience part of the investment screen. Require shoreline and hazard assessments, enforce coastal regulation rules, set back buildings where needed, design for evacuation and water security, and avoid placing permanent assets on unstable or ecologically sensitive stretches.

7. Train local people for the jobs actually being created. Develop courses for lifeguards, guides, boat operators, hospitality staff, local food businesses, maintenance teams and digital booking support. Tie training to placements and operator demand.

8. Measure outcomes, not just footfall. Track average length of stay, visitor spending, hotel occupancy, repeat visits, local employment, women-owned enterprises, seasonality, visitor complaints, beach cleanliness, water quality and ecosystem health. A rise in footfall alone can conceal low-value tourism.

A practical 36-month sequence

First 6 months: map assets and risks; identify anchor destinations; publish baseline data; audit last-mile access and public amenities; consult fishing communities and local businesses. Months 6–18: fix basic services, launch a common booking and itinerary platform, train the first cohort of guides and hospitality workers, and tender transparent concessions for carefully selected projects. Months 18–36: expand only the pilots that demonstrate stronger spending, longer stays, local job creation and acceptable environmental outcomes.

A shared East Coast brand could help visitors see a connected product, but it should not replace state-level accountability. The most useful version would be a common discovery and booking layer—“one coast, many journeys”—with each state retaining its own identity and destination-management responsibility.

The investment question: who pays, and who captures the value?

Tourism can spread economic activity beyond a handful of large hotel owners. A visitor’s spending can flow to transport operators, boat owners, guides, restaurants, artisans, homestays, farmers, fishers and local service firms. But that does not happen automatically. Contracts should create opportunities for local suppliers, and tourism plans should disclose how land is acquired or leased, what public infrastructure costs, and what jobs and tax revenues are expected.

Nor should the East Coast chase only luxury resorts. A layered model is more resilient: premium stays at a few anchor sites; family hotels and mid-market accommodation; homestays and community-run nature experiences; affordable public beaches; and heritage and food experiences that can be enjoyed without a large capital budget. The mix matters because it broadens the visitor base and keeps more of the spend local.

The Biz Masala verdict

The East Coast’s problem is not that it has nothing to sell. It has too many disconnected assets and too few consistently managed tourism products. The coast is not one giant resort site; it is a chain of distinct places, each with different natural limits, cultural strengths and commercial possibilities.

The winning strategy is therefore not a race to announce the biggest terminal, tallest hotel or most ambitious waterfront. It is to make a visitor’s journey simple, safe, memorable and worth repeating—and to make sure the economic returns reach the communities that live along the shore.

The most revealing question for governments and investors is not “How many kilometres of coastline do we have?” It is: “How many places can a visitor comfortably spend three days in—and how much value does each day create for the local economy?”

BIZ MASALA | QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL THE ECONOMY

Murthy ASR — Business, economics and the forces shaping India.

Sources and reporting notes

[1] Ministry of Tourism, India Tourism Data Compendium 2025: https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-09/India%20Tourism%20Data%20Compendium%202025_0.pdf

[2] Press Information Bureau, “Coastline of the Country”, 4 December 2025: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2198800&lang=2&reg=48

[3] Ministry of Tourism / PIB, Visakhapatnam International Cruise Terminal inauguration, 4 September 2023: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1954695&lang=2&reg=48

[4] Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Cruise Terminal: https://vpt.shipping.gov.in/Template/navigateTemplate/gnt/Q3J1c2VUYXJtaW5hbA

[5] Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department, Visakhapatnam Economic Region Growth Hub Report, cruise tourism section: https://tourism.ap.gov.in/assets/img/EMP_Visakhapatnam%20Economic%20Region_Growth%20Hub_Report_compressed.pdf

[6] PIB / National Centre for Coastal Research, shoreline erosion assessment: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1779777&lang=2&reg=48

[7] Government of Andhra Pradesh, Tourism Policy 2024–2029: https://apedb.ap.gov.in/assets/pdf/AP%20Tourism%20Policy%202024-2029.pdf

[8] Government of Odisha, Tourism Policy and 2026 amendments: https://dot.odisha.gov.in/en/notifications/tourism-policy

[9] Government of Puducherry, Tourism investment programmes and schemes: https://tourism.py.gov.in/programmes-schemes

[10] NITI Aayog, Unlocking Growth in Tourism and Hospitality Sector, June 2026: https://www.niti.gov.in/node/2352

Image note: Images supplied by the publisher/user are embedded as editorial illustrations. Exact location, date, provenance and reproduction rights have not been independently verified. Confirm captions and permissions before public release. This story distinguishes announced policies and infrastructure from demonstrated visitor outcomes; official plans are not treated as proof of commercial success.