20 Year Perspective Plan for Tourism in Union Territory Of

20 YEAR PERSPECTIVE PLAN FOR TOURISM IN UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERR Y ¹ FINAL REPORT¹ MARCH 2003 TATA ECONOMIC CONSULTANCY SERVICES 20 YEAR PERSPECTIVE PLAN FOR TOURISM IN UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY ¹ FINAL REPORT ¹ Prepared for DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM GOVERNMENT OF INDIA NEW DELHI MARCH 2003 TATA ECONOMIC CONSULTANCY SERVICES VI-A, ELDORADO, 112, NUNGAMBAKKAM HIGH ROAD CHENNAI - 600 034 CONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1-15 I UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY – 1-45 AN OVERVIEW II PONDICHERRY REGION – A PROFILE 1-16 III KARAIKAL REGION – A PROFILE 1-17 IV MAHE REGION – A PROFILE 1-16 V YANAM REGION – A PROFILE 1-22 VI RECOMMENDED PROJECTS AND THEIR 1-23 ECONOMIC BENEFITS VII FINANCING THE TOURISM PROMOTION 1-9 PROJECTS VIII INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 1-2 IX PRIVATISATION OF TOURISM ASSETS 1 X ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 1-27 i.exe EXHIBITS EXHIBIT TITLE PAGE NO. A LIST OF RECOMMENDED TOURISM PROJECTS FOR 13-14 UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY B RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TOURISM PROMOTION 15 POLICY MEASURES 1.1 PROJECTIONS OF LIKELY FUTURE POPULATION 34 IN PONDICHERRY UT 1.2 UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY – 35-38 A COMPOSITE STATE PROFILE 1.3 TRENDS IN TOURIST INFLOW INTO PONDICHERRY 39 UT 1.4 PLAN SCHEMES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM 40-43 PROJECTS 1.5 ESTIMATES OF TOURIST INFLOW – PONDICHERRY 44 AND KARAIKAL 1.6 ESTIMATES OF TOURIST INFLOW – MAHE AND 45 YANAM 2.1 TOURIST INFLOW INTO PONDICHERRY REGION 16 3.1 TOURIST INFLOW INTO KARAIKAL REGION 17 6.1 SALIENT FEATURES OF RECOMMENDED 20-21 PROJECTS 6.2 PROPOSED INVESTMENT SCHEDULE FOR 22-23 RECOMMENDED PROJECTS MATRICES IN CHAPTER X 12-27 i.exe M A P S NO. TITLE 1 LOCATION MAP OF FOUR REGIONS OF PONDICHERRY UT 2 AREA MAP OF PONDICHERRY REGION 3 BOULEVARD AREA OF PONDICHERRY TOWN 4 AREA MAP OF KARAIKAL REGION 5 AREA MAP OF MAHE REGION 6 AREA MAP OF YANAM REGION i.exe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION 1. The Department of Tourism, Government of India has commissioned various professional agencies to prepare study reports on ‘20 Year Perspective Plan for Tourism Development’ for all the States and Union Territories of India. Tata Economic Consultancy Services was commissioned to prepare the study report for the Union Territory of Pondicherry. METHODOLOGY OF REPORT PREPARATION 2. After completing the ground work involved in this task, such as intensive desk research on the subject scope, followed by field visits to Union Territory regions for discussions, data collection and location surveys for project identification, compilation and analysis of data generated from desk research and field visits, this Report on ‘20 Year Perspective Plan for Tourism in the Union Territory of Pondicherry’ has been prepared. In the preparation of this report, TECS has broadly adhered to the terms and scope of coverage of various aspects that are required in the study report. TOURISM SCENARIO IN PONDICHERRY UT 3. Among the four regions of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam in this Union Territory, only Pondicherry and Karaikal regions have experienced steady and sustained tourist traffic in the past decade and more. The tourist inflow is predominantly domestic, with foreign tourists accounting for about five percent in the total number of tourists visiting these two centres. Although there is believed to be a modest inflow of domestic tourists to the other two regions, viz. Mahe and Yanam, there is hardly any patronising of these two places by foreign tourists on a regular basis. 4. Taking into account only the estimated tourist traffic in Pondicherry and Karaikal regions, for which recorded figures are available from the Union Territory’s Directorate of Tourism office, the growth rates recorded during the period 1992 to 2001 are worked out as follows : 1 TABLE 1: GROWTH IN TOURIST TRAFFIC IN PONDICHERRY UT Pondicherry Karaikal Year Domestic Foreign Total* Domestic Foreign Total* 1992-1996 5.61 2.54 5.5 0.5 97.4 0.6 1996-2001 4.42 13.04 4.8 7.7 -3.0 7.7 1992-2001 4.95 8.25 5.1 4.4 33.0 4.5 (* Indicates growth rates for total tourist traffic in the region) TOURISM ATTRACTIONS 5. Among the four regions of this Union Territory, Pondicherry Town attracts the maximum number of foreign and domestic tourists primarily due to the presence here of the ‘Aurobindo Ashram’, and ‘Auroville’ in the nearby area of Tamil Nadu. They are attracted to these two institutions for the enshrined ‘Spiritualism’ and the ‘Way of life’ practised there. It is felt that the tourist traffic to these two places will be stable or grow at a slow pace in future years. 6. Pondicherry Town’s historic French connections, the Heritage buildings and French cultural linkages permeating the town atmosphere are the other major draw for foreign tourists, as also the Pondicherry -born French nationals living abroad at present. For the latter group, it is home coming once in a few years. 7. Besides these, all the other publicised tourist attractions and places of interest serve more to attract the domestic tourists than the foreign tourists for whom the other attractions are less interesting. This is perhaps reflected in the falling figures of ‘average number of bed nights’ spent in Pondicherry by the foreign tourists during the periods 1992 – 94 (4.035 nights), 1995 – 98 (4.554 nights) and 1999 – 2001 (1.521 nights). 8. The domestic tourists to Pondicherry are mainly made up of spiritual tourists, commercial / business visitors, fun / leisure tourists, and the honeymooning couples. Besides their visits to Ashram and Auroville, or after attending to their other work, the domestic tourists spend just about a day or more in Pondicherry to have a conducted sight tour of Pondicherry. 9. Foreign tourists visit to Karaikal is to a large extent due to the French linkages with the town and also as a pass - through halt on the way to or return from 2 Velankanni visit. Other places are of marginal or little interest to them. Domestic tourists to Karaikal are made up of temple / religious tourists and commercial travellers visiting the town on business. 10. Mahe and Yanam are still in the outbacks of tourism activity. With practically no item to attract / retain leisure / adventure tourists or nature lovers, there is hardly any foreign tourists flow to these two places. The tourists, we gather, are mostly the commercial travellers visiting on industry – business linked work, leisure tourists passing through this place as transit centre, and government officers visiting on official work. No reliable estimates on their number are available from recognised sources. PROJECTIONS OF TOURIST INFLOW 11. It is seen from the figures in Table 1 above that there have been substantial variations in the growth of foreign and domestic tourist inflow during the periods 1992-96 and 1996-2001. Any major fluctuations due to a variety of reasons get reflected only in the short-term growth rates and get evened out over a longer term, thus giving a more balanced trend in the growth rates. Keeping this in view, we have taken the 1992-2001 longer-term growth rate as the basis for assuming the likely growth rates of tourist inflow in future years. 12. As per our estimates, if there are no significant changes in the tourism asset composition and / or town development of these places, the tourist inflow may continue to grow at the same level as in recent years or increase moderately in future years. On the contrary, if more and diversified tourism attractions are developed along with improved town environment to create and sustain the interest of potential tourists, then these places could witness increased tourist activity in the post 2006 period. For, the creation of well thought out and executed / implemented tourism attractions might be in place by around 2005-6 or thereabouts. These include beautification and putting in place a few other projects and / or schemes which may have no direct relation to tourism, but are essentially conducive to improving the overall acceptability and appeal of the town / region as a place to visit and stay as a tourist. These projects are adjuncts or infrastructure amenities to tourism. 13. Our projections of the likely inflow of tourists into Pondicherry and Karaikal regions under three different scenarios are as presented in Exhibit 1.5 in Chapter I. The highlights of the Exhibit are as given below in Table 2. 3 TABLE 2 : PROJECTIONS OF TOURIST TRAFFIC- PONDICHERRY AND KARAIKAL Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C 2001 4,98,919 4,98,919 4,98,919 2011 9,01,600 10,77,100 12,94,100 2021 19,46,500 27,73,000 33,56,500 14. Our projections of the likely inflow of tourists into Mahe and Yanam regions under three similar scenarios are given in Exhibit 1.6 of Chapter I. The highlights of the Exhibit are as given below. TABLE 3 : PROJECTIONS OF TOURIST TRAFFIC- MAHE AND YANAM Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C 2001 22670 22670 22670 2011 29600 29600 31700 2021 38700 38700 44600 15. From the above two tables, we calculate that the total inflow of tourists into the UT of Pondicherry would be around 11,07,000 by 2011 and 28,12,000 by 2021as per Scenario B (Probable Scenario). RECOMMENDED PROJECTS 16. While attempting to evaluate the relevance, merit and sustainability of the projects and schemes which the TECS team had identified as prima facie suitable for setting up in the various regions, we have given considerable weightage to the following factors: a) The composition of available tourist attractions, and the types and significance of places of interest for the tourists b) The region’s locational and environmental factors c) The current and likely future pattern of socio economic activities d) The likely developments in educational, healthcare and sports facilities in the region e) Power, water, transportation and other infrastructure facilities f) The existing / emergence of competing tourist attractions in the nearby places 4 17.

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