After a tsunami ravaged the economy of the Adaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, the Indian government looked to boost domestic tourism in an effort to ease the region's woes.

Heavily subsidized "leave travel concessions" for state employees were expanded to include the Adamans and the result was a massive influx of "LTC" travelers.

Within a few short years, island residents found themselves besieged by deal-chasing and low-spending government employees on state-sponsored leave and had to endure water shortages even during the height of the monsoon season.  Off- and intra-island transport was as difficult to find and the local infrastructure was overwhelmed, at times threatening sensitive coral reefs with damage from an inadequate waste management system.

In the rush to find an economic solution, the Indian government created an entirely new social and economic problem.  And all this happened within the past three years, at a time when the concept of "sustainability" was a well-established principle in the tourism industry and it's a stark illustration for the need for co-ordination and co-operation among politicians, economic development and tourism marketing staff.

More details here.

UPDATE: The tourism crunch on the Adamans shows no sign of slowing, as evidenced by this recent article in Frontline, India's national magazine.