**7. Effective carrying capacity (ECC)**

Analysis indicates that each level constitutes a corrected capacity level of the preceding level and showed that PCC is greater than the RCC and RCC is greater than the ECC. ECC seems more acceptable than two other types of carrying capacity and is useful for development of policy for beach tourism management, as it indicates the optimum number of tourists that should be allowed on the beach with existing conditions and Mc. The total ECC for beaches of Port Blair area is 126,301 visitors/day. But the available tourist accommodation in these islands is well below the ECC of the region and needs to be increased considering the overall envi‐ ronmental quality. Tourist accommodation facilities are available both from the government and private sectors. There are approximately 2840 beds available comprising 16 private hotels affiliated to State Tourism Department, 19 government accommodation affiliated to State Tourism Department, and 45 budget accommodation affiliated to State Tourism Department [45]. There is a need for comprehensive survey on existing accommodation facilities at ANI to update the status. The tourist arrival at ANI is constantly increasing every year. The total tourist arrivals including domestic and foreign, for the year 2013–2014, is ~2.5 lakhs and it was around 9596 in the year 1980 and 33716 in the year 1990 and 86,116 in the year 2000. The international tourist arrivals have grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 4.1% p.a. over the last 20 years. The Port Blair Master Plan—2030 prepared by the A&N Administration states that the average occupancy rate of organized accommodation has hardly reached 65% and the peak occupancy rate records 2667 beds as against available 2837 beds (94%). It also states that tourism has not reached its full potential in generation or acceleration of economy in the Island though it offers vast scope for development. Considering the total ECC as well as the yearly tourist flow (2.5 lakhs approximate), it can be concluded that the TCC is preserved to accommodate a higher level of yearly tourist infiltration with adequate accommodation provisions and management facilities in future. The assessment of TCC is also being refined by us, based on local socio-economic, cultural, and ecological considerations to achieve a balance between ecotourism development and safeguarding ecological conservation.
