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Tourism and Culture Department Tourism

DEMAND NO. 29 POLICY NOTE 2007 - 2008 Tourism is one of the oldest industries, known to mankind. Still it could muster enough strength to keep abreast with other leading industries like Information Technology, Information Technology enabled services, Automobiles etc, for it is the most popular avenue for providing entertainment to the multitude. It provides a rejuvenating experience instantaneously even to the common man at an incredibly low cost. 2006-2007 was a very favourite year for Tourism as it faced only a few calamities both man made and natural. While natural calamities are beyond the control of human beings, the manmade obstacles to growth of Tourism could always be controlled, if not extirpated entirely. Except for terrorist activities in a few pockets across the globe, there was no major threat to Tourism. It is hoped that 2007-2008 would be yet another year conducive for promotion of Tourism, which can thrive only if there is peaceful co-existence of people transcending the barriers of caste, colour and creed.

Tourism - The world scenario Worldwide Tourism continues to receive the best attention of all Governments, irrespective of the form. Travel and Tourism are fast becoming one of the world's largest groups of industries and widely predicted to become the biggest single industry in the 21st century generating about 11 percent of world GDP and 200 million jobs across the globe. Tourism can be compared to universal religion, which is a matter of interest to every citizen. In view of this every nation is vying with each other in introducing tourist friendly measures like "Visa on Arrival" scheme. For Tourism, space and not sky is the limit and the space has been now invaded by a woman Tourist Anousheh Ansari who is proud to become the first woman space tourist in 2006. Tourism has enabled even small nations to generate massive foreign exchange; for e.g., the Turkish Tourist industry is worth £ 10 billion a year. Around 2 million British visit Turkey every year. The United Kingdom considers and China as important travel markets. According to a German expert, Andaman beach ranks first among the 10 best beaches of the world. India registers record foreign tourist arrivals in 2006 India achieved a 13.0 percent growth in terms of foreign tourist arrivals in the year 2006. From 3.92 million registered arrivals in 2005, the number has 2

gone up to 4.43 million in 2006. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism have also shown a growth from Rs.25,172 crores in 2005 to Rs.29,604 crores in 2006, achieving an increase of 17.6 per cent.

According to the latest World Tourism Organization statistics, 842 million international tourist arrivals were recorded last year of which India's share was 0.52 per cent. Though much smaller countries like received twice the number of tourists, the upside of the scenario is that the average duration of stay of a tourist in Singapore is 4.2 days, as against 26 days in India, according to the official data, and 12 days, according to the Indian tourism industry.

At the WTM London in 2006, India was the cynosure of all eyes with India Tourism winning four World Travel Awards. The four awards were for “Asia’s leading destination”, “Asia’s leading tourism & convention bureau”, “The World’s leading travel destination TV commercial” of its campaign and “The World’s leading responsible tourism project” for the Endogenous Tourism Project.

Destination India has always been a favourite with many wonders like the Taj Mahal, the rich and diverse culture and heritage spread across the country, the majestic Himalayas, the Buddhist circuit and wellness treasures like , Ayurveda and .

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Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism is another segment that India Tourism is focusing on. With world-class convention centres like the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), India is the ideal host for networking activities.

Rural India is an untouched treasure of the country, that still holds visitors spellbound. The Rural Tourism Project has opened up 36 rural sites for tourists in 20 states, where over 1,000 artisans showcase the rich art and crafts of the country.

Tourism in Tamil Nadu is a unique state in several aspects and more specially from the tourism point of view. Tamil Nadu has to offer something for all types of tourists viz. literate, illiterate, haves and havenots. Tourists belong to both the gender, different age groups and all fragments of society. In view of this fascination, tourists visit Tamil Nadu throughout the year. The domestic tourists show keen interest in the beaches, waterfalls, temples, temple festivals etc and they usually wind up their tour on a single day or draw up their itinerary to cover the weekends (Saturday & Sunday). The national tourists i.e. tourists drawn from all other states (except Tamil Nadu) especially from North India would like to explore Tamil Nadu in a more detailed manner and they usually visit the zoological parks, wild life sanctuaries, pilgrimage

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centres, amusement parks, shopping centres etc. Their visit to Tamil Nadu lasts for a week as they combine two weekends. The tourists from abroad, on the other hand are interested in visiting historical monuments, heritage sites, ecological sites, rural tourist centres etc. The foreign tourists spend 15 to 30 days in India. Out of this, they do not hesitate to spend even upto a week in Tamil Nadu.

The immense tourist wealth of Tamil Nadu as explained above is undoubtedly the greatest asset of Tamil Nadu. The tourist wealth, be it natural or man made alone cannot be considered as a complete product to attract tourists. Tourism Department’s interaction with the tourists, since the last few decades has revealed that they attach much importance to basic amenities and infrastructure facilities at tourist centres.

During the year 2006-2007, Tamil Nadu experienced sustained buoyancy in the hospitality sector. The Tourism Department is vigorously pursuing the three pronged strategy of attracting more tourists to Tamil Nadu, making them stay for a longer period in Tamil Nadu and providing the tourists with world class infrastructure facilities. Having realized that conventional methods of wooing tourists would not be sufficient to meet the challenges being thrown up by the highly competitive tourism market, Tourism Department is now exploring the possibilities to introduce novel schemes like Helicopter services from

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Madurai, boating services at Pazhaverkadu (Pulicat Lake), Urban Haat at , etc. In the forthcoming year, more focus would be given on branding and promoting by focussing on its specific selling points.

Chennai has the potential to become a global metropolis in view of the blend of the new and the old, excellent connectivity, educated man power and wide base of technical institutions. The state continues to offer to the Tourists a peaceful atmosphere, devoid of any terrorist activities. Information Technology, Pharmaceutical, Automobile, Telecom and Banking sectors are making Tamil Nadu their favoured business destination. With the Government providing adequate support and effective guidance to formulate new plans for promoting tourism, Tamil Nadu Tourism is poised to take a big leap in future.

Tourist Arrivals Details of number of tourists visited Tamil Nadu are furnished below:

Year Domestic Foreign Total (in lakhs) (in lakhs) (in lakhs) 2002 246.61 8.05 254.66 2003 270.59 9.02 279.61 2004 300.77 10.58 311.35

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2005 323.39 11.79 335.18 2006 392.14 13.35 405.50

The upward trend in Tourist arrivals has enabled Tamil Nadu to reach the second position in attracting foreign tourists and third position in attracting domestic tourists in India, as per a survey conducted in 2005. Tamil Nadu Tourism’s ultimate goal is to reach the first position in both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals.

Length of stay of tourists in Tamil Nadu The average stay of domestic tourist in Tamil Nadu is 4 to 5 days whereas the stay of foreign tourist is 7 days. The domestic tourist is spending Rs.711/- per day whereas the foreign tourist is spending Rs.2252/- per day. During 2006,Tamil Nadu alone contributed Rs.3020 crores towards foreign exchange.

Types of Tourism in Tamil Nadu The tourist traffic in Tamil Nadu is generated at three levels, Domestic (from within Tamil Nadu), National (from all other states in India) and International. The tourists belong to mainly two categories i) who have a single point agenda of enjoying the tourist wealth of Tamil Nadu and ii) who combine their visit to Tamil Nadu with other purposes like pilgrimage, business and medical treatment. The

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various types of tourism available in Tamil Nadu are as detailed below:-

a) Leisure Tourism: Tourists visiting tourist centres in Tamilnadu for leisure constitute a major segment of tourists. They usually throng the hill resorts, beach resorts, waterfalls, zoological parks, bird sanctuaries and botanical / horticultural gardens.

b) Pilgrim Tourism: Pilgrims are another major group of tourists visiting Tamil Nadu. They visit places of worship according to their faith. But, at times they also visit places of worship of the other religions.

c) Heritage Tourism: Tamil Nadu can boast of its immense heritage wealth. This is clearly evident from the fact that UNESCO has declared five monuments in Tamil Nadu (Mamallapuram, , Gangaikondacholapuram, and Nilgiris Mountain Railway) as world heritage monuments. Apart from this, there are countless heritage centres in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Government has declared 47 towns in Tamil Nadu as heritage towns for conservation and preservation of the priceless heritage. One of the common complaints / suggestions, received from the tourists is regarding proper upkeep of 8

heritage destinations. Tamil Nadu Tourism will strive to prevent damage to heritage centres on a warfooting. The list of heritage towns identified are shown in the Annexure. d) Adventure Tourism: Tourists in search of adventure constitute mostly youngsters. They would like to stimulate their appetite for adventure through trekking, air/water sports and the like. e) Cruise Tourism: Cruise shipping is today one of the largest growing sectors globally with an annual turnover of more than $500 billion. Tourists are taken on a cruise, which gives insight into the tradition of Tamil Nadu. f) Rural Tourism: The emphasis under rural tourism is on the uniqueness of the individual villages with regard to their life style, art and culture and monuments. g) Business Tourism: Top executives who arrive Tamil Nadu on business trips or to attend seminars, conferences, conventions, etc., combine tourism with their business trips. h) Medical Tourism: Tamil Nadu has some of India's best medical facilities (Allopathy, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani etc.,). This coupled

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with Tamil Nadu's traditional hospitality attracts patients from other States and even from other countries. After full recovery, the patients as well as their attendants visit places of tourist interest. Wellness tourism, is a fast emerging tourism product in Tamil Nadu. Indian Medical Tourism mainly revolves around patients and their families visiting the Tamil Nadu's best hospitals for world-class services, which are cost effective. From all over India and other parts of the globe, thousands of health tourists are coming to Tamil Nadu to avail the medicare of expert doctors. Conventionally, Medical Tourism also spans across the prestigious medical colleges and institutions of the State. Students and research scholars are attracted to Tamil Nadu's superior medical education standards. Tamil Nadu offers an enchanting array of fascinating tourist destinations for tourists who care about their health. Multi- specialty hospitals, catering to treatment for people from all over the world are now much sought after. Several tourist resorts in Mamallapuram and other places offer facilities of Ayurvedic medicare which can be compared to the best anywhere in the world. According to a survey, two percent of the foreign tourists visiting Tamil Nadu are coming for medical treatment.

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i) Fairs/Festivals Tourism: Large inflow of tourists is usually seen during the major festive seasons like Deepavali, Christmas, Ramzan, Pongal, etc. The exhibitions and fairs (like India Tourist & Industrial Fair conducted every year by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation at Island Grounds, Chennai) also draw significant numbers. j) Social Functions: People visit their friends and relatives in connection with social functions like marriage and visit tourist spots either before or after the function. k) Academic Tourism: Students from educational institutions visit tourist spots as a part of their curriculum. During such trips they combine studies with Tourism. Tourist attractions like Government Museum, Fort Museum, Snake Park, Planetarium, etc., in Chennai act as centres of education for students. l) Ecological Tourism usually shortened as eco-tourism, is a form of tourism, which aims to make tourists both ecologically and socially conscious. It is defined both as a concept tourism movement and as a tourism section. Generally speaking, eco-tourism focuses on local culture, wilderness adventures, volunteering, personal growth 11

and learning new ways to live on the planet, typically involving travel to destinations where the flora, fauna and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible eco-tourism includes programmes that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people.

m) Wildlife-Tourism can be an eco and animal friendly tourism in both captive and wild environments. It has experienced a rapid growth in recent years worldwide. Wildlife tourism, in its simplest sense, is watching wild animals in their natural . Wildlife tourism is also a multi-million dollar industry offering customized tour packages and safaris.

Commissionerate of Tourism and the offices under its control

The Commissionerate of Tourism is headed by Commissioner of Tourism and consists of other posts like one Joint Director, two Deputy Directors, three Assistant Directors, One Publication Officer, One Accounts Officer and more than 200 ministerial staff members. The field offices comprise of 20 Tourist Offices (14 within Tamil Nadu and 6 Outside Tamil Nadu) and 27 Tourist Information Centres (19 within Tamil Nadu and 8 outside Tamil Nadu) whose main 12

functions are giving information and rendering assistance to tourists in respect of their stay, food, sight seeing, shopping, worship, amusement etc., publicizing the tourist potential of Tamil Nadu and co- ordinate with District Collectors / Public Works Department / Local bodies etc., in implementation of projects.

Stakeholders of Tourism:

The stakeholders involved in tourism can range from an ordinary auto driver to a flamboyant resort owner. Any citizen of the tourist country can be taken under this category. A person who knows in and out about the place he lives can contribute a lot to tourism. A friendly gesture by lending a helping hand to tourists seeking their destination should be considered the duty of every individual.

Financial Outlay Details of funds provided for promotion of tourism by the during the past three years are furnished below:-

Year Budget Estimate Actuals (Rs. in crores) (Rs. in crores) 2004-2005 30.35 31.29 2005-2006 32.42 37.04 2006-2007 46.04 63.57

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Job opportunities Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has estimated that every Rs.10.00 lakhs invested in Tourism created 47.5 jobs. The same amount if invested in Manufacturing sector can create only 12.6 jobs. A sample survey by the World Tourism Council using a methodology called "Tourism satellite Account" concludes that jobs generated by Tourism could rise from today's 2.4% to 6.8% in ten years which means 80 lakhs new jobs. Similarly, in respect of hotel industry, it is estimated that an investment of Rs.10.00 lakhs will give direct employment to 12 persons and five rooms in a five star hotel on an average gives direct employment to eight persons.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT SINCE MAY 2006

At the time of presenting the Tourism Demand for the year 2006 – 2007, 23 announcements were made for the promotion of Tourism. Out of these announcements, orders have been issued for 20 schemes and the progress of works are in various stages as detailed below:

1. For providing infrastructure facilities around Statue at Kanniyakumari, a sum of Rs.133.00 lakhs has been sanctioned and works are under progress.

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2. For the development of Kazhugumalai in District, construction of Tourist Information Centre at and development of in funds have already been released to the District Collectors concerned and works are under progress.

3. In order to give employment to the educated, but unemployed graduates it was decided to train them as Tourist Guides. Accordingly, orders have been issued. The Department has received more than 500 applications of which, 200 candidates have been selected. Anna Institute of Management has been requested to commence the training programme for the selected candidates.

4. Under Eco-Tourism, funds have been sanctioned for the development of Pichavaram, Muthupettai, Kodiakarai and Pazhaverkadu (Pulicat). The work in these places are nearing completion. In addition to this, the Forest Department has sent an estimate for the development of Eco Tourism in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs.45.00 crores. The same would be considered for sanction in a phased manner commencing from 2007-2008.

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5. In order to show affection, decency, softness and responsibility by Porters, Canteen / Hotel Bearers, Auto drivers and others whom the tourists come into contact, seminars were organized under the caption "éUªÂd® ngh‰WJ«: éUªÂd® ngh‰WJ«:" by the Department, which was well appreciated by one and all. Television programmes were also conducted to disseminate this message. Similar effort would be taken by this Department regularly. Further, under the said caption, advertisements were issued by this Department in various magazines.

6. Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation has purchased one Volvo Bus at a cost of Rs.61.25 lakhs under its fleet modernization scheme. In addition to this 10 Nos. of Non-A/c & A/c coaches have been purchased during 2006-2007 at a cost of Rs.171.00 lakhs as detailed below and they have been put into operation. 10 seater - One AC 35 seater - Two number of AC Bus 35 seater -Three number of Non-AC Bus 18 seater - Two number of AC Bus 18 seater - Two number of Non-AC Bus

7. The script for establishment of Sound and Light Show in the premises of Thanjavur Big Temple

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has been prepared. ASI has been requested to accord permission. On receipt of the clearance from the ASI, Sound and Light Show would be established.

8. A monthly calendar for year 2007 highlighting the Tourism potentials available in Tamil Nadu has been brought out and distributed to all the Travel Agents, Tour Operators and Hoteliers both in India and abroad and to the Government of India Tourist Offices located outside India.

9. To provide safety and security to the tourists visiting Tamil Nadu, Orders have been issued for the formation of “Tourism Police” in Tamil Nadu at the following important destinations. a) Mamallapuram b) Udhagamandalam c) Kodaikanal d) e) Kanniyakumari

10. To promote private investment in the Tourism Projects extending concessions incentives / subsidies is under the active consideration of the Government.

VISION WITH A MISSION Promotion & Marketing :

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Tamil Nadu Tourism is making optimum use of many publicity tools available like pamphlets, banners, hoardings, advertisement in print media, television, radio, websites, touch screen kiosks and CD Rom, to disseminate information on the tourist wealth of Tamil Nadu. Out of them, Television is emerging as the single best medium to reach out to the largest number of people. Television is an excellent medium to build a product's brand image or to create excitement around a particular event. TV now reaches 112 million homes in India. With the bigger corporates entering the "Direct To Home" (DTH) satellite TV service, the number of TV viewers is likely to shoot up sharply in the next couple of years. In view of the immense potential available in TV, the Tourism Department has produced 20 second advertisement video quickies highlighting enchanting tourist spots of Tamil Nadu. These spots will be telecasted on leading satellite T.V. channels during 2007-2008. i) Film on Pilgrimage Centres Over the past few years, there has been marked increase in the number of people who have been opting to visit pilgrimage centres. Usually the demand for this is very high during the holiday seasons and again between November and February. In order to increase the number of tourists and as a part of promotion of pilgrimage centres, it is proposed to develop / promote the Navagraha circuit and

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Arupadai Veedugal Circuit by producing film on this subject during 2007-2008. ii) Direct Marketing : Direct Marketing is the discipline of trying to reach a tourist directly with a message that is relevant to him using any channel / medium that allows for a differentiation and enables building a one-to-one relationship with him over a period of time. This Direct Marketing method is all set leapfrog into being the key communication strategy for customers and Tamil Nadu Tourism would explore the possibility of introducing Direct Marketing like Internet marketing, E-mail marketing, Tele Marketing, Mobile marketing etc. which are now being extensively used in the service sector, as there is more "personal touch" in these methods. iii) Conduct of Publicity Campaign In order to increase the number of domestic tourists visiting Tamil Nadu, Tourism Department have organized Publicity Campaigns at the following places during 2006-2007.

a) b) Kolkatta c) Ahmedabad d) Jaipur

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e) Hyderabad f) Delhi

Due to the efforts taken by this Department the number of tourists who availed the Rail-cum-Road Tour to Tamil Nadu from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Jaipur increased from 412 to 1262 and T.T.D.C. earned a revenue of Rs.93.00 lakhs during 2006-2007 against the revenue of Rs.31.00 lakhs during 2005-2006. During 2007-2008 the publicity campaigns would be conducted in the following places.

a) Chandigarh b) Lucknow c) Visakhapatnam d) Delhi e) Mumbai f) Kolkatta g) Jaipur h) Hyderabad i) Ahmedabad j) Goa Participation in the International Travel Marts

To increase the number of foreign tourist arrival, this Department had participated in the

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following International Travel Marts during 2006- 2007.

a) PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) at Hong Kong b) WTM (World Travel Mart) at London This Department had also conducted a publicity campaign at and Singapore during 2006- 2007. During 2007-2008, it is proposed to participate in the following International Travel Marts to attract foreign tourists.

a) PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) b) WTM (World Travel Mart) c) ITB (International Tourismus Bourse- Berlin) d) Travel Mart

To increase the number of ethnic tourists, it is proposed to conduct publicity campaigns in the following countries.

a) South Africa b) Srilanka c) Mauritius INFRASTRUCTURE

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Government of India Assisted Schemes Destination Development

Destination is a place of tourist interest. It must be among the most visited sites in the State or recognized heritage monuments. A group of tourist attractions located in the same village, town or city would also qualify. During 2006-2007, Madurai, Kanniyakumari, Puliancholai and Thanjavur have been taken up for development.

During 2007-2008, Beautification of , and Elagiri would be taken up for development. Their importance is given below :-

Beautification of Marina Beach

One of the important itineraries of many tourists who visit this part of the country is visit to the beaches. These beaches are one of the best natural attractions that we have. As Marina is the second longest beach in the world, it is a major tourist attraction. Apart from other attractions many people come to to visit the beaches. Keeping these in mind, it is proposed to develop and promote beaches in Tamil Nadu at both national and international levels. In the first phase “Marina Beach” would be taken up for

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development at a cost of Rs.5.00 crores during 2007-2008.

Development of Srirangam Srirangam is one of the most important pilgrim centres in Tamil Nadu. It is seven km from surrounded by the river and by Kollidam (Coleroon). The city is bound by the seven concentric walls of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, one of the largest in India, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Srirangam is the seat of the pontiff of the Vaishnavaite sects of the 108 'Divya Deshams' (sacred cities). Its Rajagopuram, one of the 21 impressive towers, 72 m high, having 13 tiers, built in 1987 is one of the tallest of its kind, while the others have been constructed between the 14th and the 17th centuries. It is therefore proposed to develop "Srirangam" under destination development scheme at a cost of Rs.5.00 crores.

Development of Elagiri in District

Elagiri is an ideal destination for a weekend get away. The quiet idyllic ambience of the mountains is untouched by crowds and the attendant pollution of heavily patronised locals such as Udhagamandalam or Kodaikanal. The 14 odd hairpin bends on the hill are named after leading Tamil personages – both ancient and recent. Visitors can also drive down to Elagiri lake

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and enjoy a boat ride through the circumference of the lake. The park around the lake has also a tree top view point to enable the tourists to have a birds’ eye view of the surroundings. In view of above importance, it is proposed to develop and promote Elagiri as a major family destination owing to its proximity to Chennai. A sum of Rs.192.60 lakhs has been sanctioned towards meeting the costs of development works during 2006-2007. During 2007-2008, a sum of Rs.5.00 crores would be spent for the development of Elagiri.

Circuit Development A tourist circuit is defined as a route on which atleast three major tourist destinations are located and that none of these are in the same town, village or city. At the same time, they are not separated by a long distance. It should have well defined entry and exit points. A tourist who enters at the entry point should get motivated to visit all the places identified on the circuit. The objective of having a tourist circuit is to increase the total numbers of tourists visit to all the destinations on the circuit on the one hand and to provide to the tourists the attractions of all the destinations located on the circuit.

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During 2006-2007, Chennai-Kancheepuram- Mamallapuram Tourist Circuit covering Poonamallee- Thirukazhukundram has been taken up for development at a cost of Rs.452.78 lakhs.

Development of Eco-Tourism Circuit during 2007-2008

The Indian tradition has always treated nature with utmost respect and reverence. Nature worship, fascination for wilderness and conservation ethics are integrated to Tamil culture. The diminished quality of life coupled with catastrophic calamities such as global warming and Tsunami have led to some realisation about human responsibility towards nature and rekindled public interest in environmental conservation. Eco-tourism is travel to area of natural or ecological interest for the purpose of observing and learning about the environment with a focus on environmental conservation and to improve the livelihood opportunities of local people.

Tamil Nadu boasts of immense potential for eco-tourism viz. Hill stations, Mangroves, 5 National parks, 8 Sanctuaries, 12 Bird sanctuaries, Biosphere resources ((The Nilgiris & ), etc.

The following ten circuits have been identified for development.

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Sl. Main Wildlife Prominent places in and No. /Forest Area/Eco- around for Tourism tourism circuit development 1 Mudumalai WLS Udhagamandalam, Teppakadu, Masinagudi, Gudalur, Tea Estates 2 Anamalai WLS Topslip, Aliyar Dam, Tea Estates 3 Kalakkad Kalakkad, Mundanthurai Mundanthurai and Courtalam reserve 4 Gulf of Mannar Ramnad, Pamban, Biosphere Reserve , Rameswaram 5 Point Calimere WLS Kodiakarai, Vedaranyam Salt Swamp, Muthupet

6 Kodaikanal Kodaikanal, Pambar , Silver Falls, Berijam lake 7 Hogenekkal Thoppur, Hogenakkal, Biligundu

8 Pichavaram , Pichavaram Mangroves 9 Sathyamangalam Dimbam, Hasanur, Minjikuzhi Valley, Thengumarada, Bhavani Sagar Dam

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10 Pulicat - Chennai Chennai, Arignar Anna Zoological Park, , Pulicat lake

Approximate cost for the development of above circuits would be around Rs.45.00 crores. During 2007-2008, Udhagamandalam Tourist Circuit would be taken up for development at a cost of Rs.5.00 crores.

Rural Tourism Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism is essentially an activity, which takes place in the countryside. It is multi-faceted and may entail farm/agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism and eco-tourism. As against conventional tourism, rural tourism has certain typical characteristics like; it is experience oriented, the locations are sparsely populated, it is predominantly in natural environment, it meshes with seasonality and local events and is based on preservation of culture, heritage and traditions.

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During 2006-2007 the following places were taken up for development under Rural tourism

a) Thadiyankudisai in b) Kombai in Theni District

During 2007-2008, it is proposed to develop the following places under Rural Tourism a) Ammaiyappan (Thiruvarur District) - Famous for handloom sarees b) Nachiyarkoil / Thirubuvanam () – Famous for manufacture of bell metal / silk sarees

STATE FUNDED SCHEMES Development of less known places

In order to encourage the tourists to visit the nearby places of tourist interest, the Tourism Department in consultation with the District Collectors is developing the tourist places in that District. 50% of the total estimate is sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department. The balance 50% is met by the District Administration. During 2006-2007 the following places were taken up for development under state funded schemes:-

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Dist. Tourism Total Admn. Dept Project Sl. Name of the scheme share share Cost No (Rs. in (Rs.in (Rs. in lakhs) lakhs) lakhs) 1 2 3 4 5 PART-II SCHEMES 1 Development of 0.00 13.00 13.00 Kazhugumalai in 2 Construction of Tourist 0.00 10.00 10.00 Interpretation Centre at Kodaikanal 3 Development of Elagiri Hills 0.00 100.60 100.60 in 4 Development of Suruli 0.00 19.50 19.50 Waterfalls in Theni District 5 Development of Chinna Suruli Waterfalls in Theni 0.00 10.85 10.85 District 6 Additional facilities 0.00 39.00 39.00 around the area of Thiruvalluvar Statue at Kanniyakumari Schemes jointly implemented by District Administration & Tourism Department (50:50) 7 Provision of 46.81 46.81 93.62 infrastructure facilities

around Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanniyakumari District 8 Development of Javadhu 54.00 54.00 108.00 hills and Sathanurdam inTiruvannamalai District 9 Provision of 0.00 17.05 17.05 Infrastructure facilities at Kottivakkam Beach in Kancheepuram District.

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10 Provision of 48.70 25.00 73.70 Infrastructure facilities at A/m Punnainallur Mariamman Temple in Thanjavur District. 11 Provision of 12.50 12.50 25.00 infrastructure facilities at Kodiveri Dam Reservoir in District. 12 Provision of 12.50 12.50 25.00 infrastructure facilities at Ponnaniar Dam in . 13 Provision of 8.50 8.50 17.00 infrastructure facilities at Sri Lakshimi Narasimhar Temple area in Poovarasankuppam, Villupuram District 14 Development of 15.00 15.00 30.00 Jayankondapattinam in 15 Provision of 0.00 50.00 50.00 infrastructure facilities at Navagraha Kshetras (Phase-II) 16 Provision of basic 0.00 23.00 23.00 amenities at Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur 17 Development of Elagiri 46.00 46.00 92.00 Hills in Vellore District 18 Provision of 31.19 31.18 62.37 infrastructure facilities at Sri A/m Angala Parameswari Amman Temple area, Melmalai- yanur in Villupuram District.

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19 Development of Golf 0.00 1.00 1.00 Course at Elagiri Hills in Vellore District 20 Provision of Drinking 0.00 7.50 7.50 Water facilities at Kattabomman Memorial Fort at Panchalankurichi in Thoothukudi District. 21 Improvement works at 0.00 31.95 31.95 Manora in Thanjavur District 22 Provision of 17.50 17.50 35.00 infrastructure facilities at Agarampallipattu Mariamman Koil and Kannamadai Ayyanar Tirukoil in District 23 Provision of 23.15 23.15 46.30 infrastructure facilities at important places in District 24 Provision of 17.68 17.67 35.35 infrastructure facilities at

Madurai Corporation Area in 25 Provision of 11.75 11.75 23.50 infrastructure facilities at

A/m. Mullaivananatha Swamy Temple, Thirukkarugavur in Thanjavur District 26 Development of Kekkarai 0.00 77.35 77.35 and Kuruvi Rameswaram in 27 Development of A/m. 9.40 9.40 18.80 Sheshapureeswarar

Temple, Thiruppampuram in Tiruvarur District

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28 Provision of infrastructure facilities at 10.05 10.05 20.10 Rajagopalaswamy Thirukoil, Ananthamangalam, A/m. Mariamman Thirukoil, Ozugaimangalam and A/m. Divaloganatha- swamy Thirukoil, Thiruppangur in

29 Provision of basic 26.32 26.32 52.64 amenities in the Pilgrim centres of Thirunageswaram and Thiruvalanchuzhi in Thanjavur District 30 Provision of 23.50 23.50 47.00 infrastructure facilities at

Thiruvakkarai in Villupuram District Total 414.55 791.63 1206.18

During 2007-2008 more places would be identified in consultation with the District Collectors and developed.

Special Schemes Introduction of “Hop on Hop off” Tours in Chennai

Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is the Gateway to South India and is a major trade centre

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being well-linked by road, rail and air to important cities besides being a sea port. It has large number of tourist places and pilgrimage centres like Kapaleeswarar Temple, Parthasarathy Temple, Fort St. George, Fort Museum, Children Park, Marina Beach, etc. Therefore, to facilitate the tourists visiting tourist centres in Chennai, it is proposed to introduce “Hop on Hop off Tour” in Chennai in co-operation with the State Transport Corporation. Under this tour, the tourist can board the bus at any location and get off the bus at any stop convenient for seeing tourist attractions in the city. In this concept, there is no fixed time schedule to be followed and the tourists can spend as much time as required at any tourist attraction according to their interest.

Establishment of Sculptor Park at Mamallapuram

The number of tourists visiting Mamallapuram (both foreign and domestic) are increasing every year as detailed below:-

Year Domestic Foreign Total 2001 688821 71447 760268 2002 723526 72302 795828 2003 859768 79224 938992 2004 951066 91421 1042487 2005 920045 100357 1020402

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2006 1142690 118885 1261575 Considering the number of tourists visiting Mamallapuram, the area and Five Ratha’s area have been developed at a cost of Rs.5.00 crores with parking lot, landscaping etc. This development plan includes construction of 100 shops. Under Phase-II, a sum of Rs.432.00 lakhs has been sanctioned by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The Phase-II works are under progress. As part of development of Mamallapuram, it is proposed to "Establish Sculptors Park for Tsunami affected sculptors and artisans in Mamallapuram" through Rural Development Department. The main objective of the project is to exhibit the art of the sculptors both at work and sale of their products, in Poonjeri near Mamallapuram, Kancheepuram District and to facilitate increase in their income. This facility would accommodate approximately 125 work teams each consisting of nearly 10 members who have been affected by the Tsunami. The facilities would include workshops for each of the 125 work teams (which were earlier scattered due to want of space), separate entries for materials into the workshops and common workshop facilities. The park would also have additional recreation facilities to attract tourists who visit Mamallapuram to boost sale of products and also educate them on the evolution/history of stone architecture in the area, and help in documenting and propagating the craft. It will also house a restaurant, reception and an information centre for the tourists,

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office and administration space for the sculptor's society and toilet facilities.

The cost of "Establishment of Sculptors Park for Tsunami affected sculptors and artisans in Mamallapuram" would be around Rs.10.00 crores.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS:

Tamil Nadu is well known for its rich cultural heritage both within and outside the country. Here, Music, Dance and Drama form an integral part of the lives of people. Tamlians are very fond of organizing and participating in a variety of cultural fairs and festivals throughout the year. The religious fervor in Tamil Nadu is so high that a cultural programme is organized to mark even small temple festivals. Not a single month passes away without any festival being celebrated. The Music, Dance and Drama programmes are organized to coincide with each festival. During these festivals, the kith and kin join together from far-off places. The festivals attract people from all walks of life and all age groups.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Department has already taken steps to woo tourists by popularizing the fairs and festivals. Details of Festivals organized by Tamil Nadu Tourism are as under:-

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I. Summer Festivals :

Summer Festivals are organized during May and June at Udhagamandalam, , , Kodaikanal, Suruli Falls, Elagiri, , Nagapattinam Beach, Valparai, Javadhu Hills, Pachamalai, Silver Beach (Cuddalore) and Panchalankurichi Kattabomman Memorial Fort.

II . Saral Vizha Saral Vizha ( Festival of Drizzle) is organized to entertain the tourists, who visit the famous waterfalls at .

III . Dance Festivals: 1) Dance Festival,Mamallapuram : December / January 2) Natyanjali Festival,Chidambaram: February / March

IV. Other special festivals are also celebrated at the following places:-

Sl. Name of the Place Month No festival 1 Sandanakkoodu March Festival 2 Chithirai Full Madurai & April / May Moon Festival Poompuhar 3 Car Festival Tiruvarur May 4 Chithirai Visu May Festival

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5 Aadi Pooram Melmaruvathur July Festival 6 Aadiperukku Bhavani July/ Festival Kooduthurai & August Hogenekkal 7 Velankanni August/ Madha Festival September 8 Kanduri Festival August/ September

9 Valvil Ori Festival Kolli Hills August/ September 10 Sadaya Vizha Thanjavur October/ November

Harvest Festivals 1) Pongal Festival in all important Tourist spots : January 2) Tea & Tourism Festival- Udhagamandalam/ : January 3) Mango Festival, Krishnagiri : June Cultural Festivals

1) National Tourism and Cultural Festival, Kanniyakumari :January 2) National Pilgrim Festival, Rameswaram : January 3) Navarathiri Festival, Madurai : September/ October

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During 2007-2008, this Department would continue to support the conduct of fairs and festivals in a befitting manner.

Accommodation The Information Technology boom has buoyed up the hospitality sector in Tamil Nadu. Information Technology, Pharmaceutical, Automobiles, Telecom, Banking Sectors make Tamil Nadu their favoured destination. During the year 2006 the hotel sector had recorded an occupancy rate of 80%. The details of approved / unclassified Hotels as in 2006 are detailed below.

Category No.of No.of Rooms Hotels 5 Star Deluxe 5 695 5 Star 7 988 4 Star 10 925 3 Star 74 4467 2 Star 44 1699 1 Star 39 1569 Heritage 2 74 Unclalssified 16 703 Total 197 11120

In addition to the above T.T.D.C is running a chain of hotels with 55 units.

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The Tourism Department, Government of India has approved 29 Hotel projects in Tamil Nadu which would include 5 in the five star category, 2 in the four star category, 3 in the three star category and two in the single star category. The demand for Chennai alone is projected to be in the order of additional 4,000 rooms to handle the volume of growth till 2010. As two–tier towns were also witnessing a similar buoyancy, private entrepreneurs would be encouraged to construct star hotels especially in proximity to Tourist destinations. Tourism Department will act as a facilitator. Depending upon the soundness of hotels projects, the Tourism Department would examine the possibility of transfer of Government land in prime locations on long term lease basis.

Bed and Breakfast scheme It is estimated that there may be a shortage of 4000 rooms in 2010 in Chennai. Keeping this in mind, it is proposed to activate the Bed and Breakfast scheme. This scheme will not only bridge the gap between demand and supply to great extent but will also provide employment opportunity to housewives. The basic idea of the scheme is to provide a clean and affordable place for tourists including an opportunity for foreign tourists to stay with local families and experience Tamil customs, traditions and relish authentic Tamil cuisine. Apart from increasing the availability of rooms, this would serve a dual purpose of emphasizing the women folk especially housewives

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who can now earn while staying at home and doing what they know the best.

TAMILNADU TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION LIMITED

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) was incorporated in 1971 with the main object of promoting tourism in Tamil Nadu by building up adequate tourism related infrastructure facilities on commercially viable basis. TTDC made a modest beginning by taking over 5 Government bungalows and operated 2 coaches. It has made rapid strides and today it has earned the proud distinction of owning the longest chain of hotels in South India numbering 55. The fleet of coaches has increased to 21.

TTDC is providing the facilities such as Hotels, Youth Hostels, Restaurants, Boat Houses, Telescope Houses, Lake Park and Petrol Bunk for the benefit of the tourists covering all the major tourist destinations in the State.

TTDC is operating Youth Hostels in all major tourist destinations including Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal and Yercaud wherein dormitory accommodation is provided to budget tourists at affordable costs even during the peak summer season of April to June.

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FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE:

TTDC has achieved substantial growth during the year 2006-2007 with an estimated turn over of Rs.4970.00 lakhs compared to the turnover of Rs.4342.00 lakhs achieved during the year 2005- 2006. This represents a growth of 14 percent over last year. The gross profit for the year 2006-2007 is estimated as Rs.705.00 lakhs compared to the gross profit of Rs.589.70 lakhs achieved during the year 2005-2006. The net profit for the year 2006-2007 is estimated as Rs.263.00 lakhs (after income tax and deferred tax) compared to the net profit of Rs.192.60 lakhs achieved during the year 2005-2006.

The substantial growth recorded by TTDC during the year 2006-2007 is mainly attributed to the quantum leap in performance levels in all the major hotels of TTDC during the year 2006-2007. The average occupancy levels of the hotels of TTDC recorded an increase of 5 percent during the year 2006-2007 over the previous years levels.

Hotel Division:

The turn over of the Hotel Division for the year 2006-2007 is estimated at Rs.3555.00 lakhs compared to the turn over of Rs.3046.00 lakhs achieved during 2005-2006 representing an increase of 17 percent over last year. TTDC has not achieved this growth in the 41

hotel sector for more than a decade. The lodging, catering, bar and boating sectors have recorded significant growth during the year 2006-2007. Steps are being taken to sustain this phenomenal growth during the year 2007-2008 also by upgrading the major hotels and improving the customers service by outsourcing the work of ‘D’ category staff who have already taken retirement voluntarily.

Franchising of TTDC Hotels and Restaurants:

TTDC has already been permitted by the Government to franchise 31 Hotels and 10 restaurants. TTDC has franchised 13 Hotels and 3 Restaurants till date. The Government have approved certain modifications in the franchise terms and conditions based on the recommendations of the Board of TTDC vide G.O. Ms. No. 17 Tourism & Culture Department dt.8.2.2007. The amendments provide for escalation of 15 percent increase once in 3 years in the franchise amount as against the existing 10 percent annual escalation. TTDC has called for open tenders for franchising the remaining hotels and restaurants approved by the Government based on the amended terms. Good response is expected to the tender process in view of the amendments approved by the Government.

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Transport Division: TTDC operates about 37 types of package tours ranging from half a day to 14 days. The tours cover not only the major tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu, but also the Southern States. TTDC also operates special package tours catering to the specific demands of the tourists from Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and South Africa. The details of package tours operated by TTDC are as follows:-

1. Half Day - Chennai City sight Seeing Tour 2. One Day - Kancheepuram, Mamallapuram Tour (Round Trip) 3. One Day - Pondicherry Tour 4. One Day - Thirupathi Tour ( Day Trip) 5. One Day - Thiruvannamalai Girivalam Tour 6. One Day - Surutapalli Tour 7. One Day - Sakthi Tour ( Deviar Darshan) 8. One Day - Thirumal Darhsan Tour (Nine Balaji Temples around Chennai) 9. One Day - Vandalur Zoo & Kishkinta Tour 10. One Day - Fun & Entertainment Tour 11. Three Days- Navagragha Tour (Nine Planets Tour) 12. Three Days - Nava Thirupathigal (Thirunelveli) Tour 13. Three Days - Panchabootha Thalangal Tour 14. One Day - Navagraha Tour (Around Chennai)

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15 Four Days - ArupadaiVeeduTour(Lord Muruga Tour) 16. Six Days - South India Tour 17. Seven Days - Mookambika Tour 18. Seven Days - Andhra Tour 19. Eight Days - Goa-Mantralayam - Puttaparthi Tour 20. Eight Days - East West Coast Tour 21. Eight Days - Tamil Nadu Tour 22. Fourteen Days - Mumbai - Ajantha Ellora Tour 23. Fourteen Days - Sunny South Tour 24. Fourteen Days - Puri - Gaya - Kasi - Allahabad Tour SPECIAL TOURS

25. One Day - Thondainattu Thirupathigal Tour 26.One Day -Thennangur-Uthiramerur– Madhuranthagam Tour 27. Two days - Elagiri Tour 28. Three days - Tour 29. Three days - Kodaikanal Tour 30. Three days - Yercaud - Hogenakkal Tour 31. Three days - Mysore Tour 32. Three Days - Munnar Tour 33. Three days - Courtallam Tour 34. Four Days - Chozhanattu Thirupathigal Tour 35. Five Days - Pandiyanattu Thirupathigal Tour

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FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF TRANSPORT DIVISION:

A turn over of Rs.712.00 lakhs has been estimated for the year 2006-2007 compared to the turn over of Rs.636.00 lakhs achieved during the year 2005-2006 representing an increase of 12 percent over the previous year. TTDC has replaced 10 coaches during the year 2006-2007.

VALUE ADDED PACKAGE TOURS:

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Limited launched the Value Added Package Tours viz Rail-cum-Road tours linking Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Ahmedabad during 2002. In these tours, the tourists are received at the Chennai Railway Station with Garlands and then taken on a tour of Tamil Nadu in Hi-tech coaches and are again given a warm send off at Chennai Railway Station. Confirmed Rail tickets are provided to the tourists in these tours.

During the year 2006-07 the income generated through these Rail-cum-Road tours has gone up to Rs.93.00 lakhs compared to Rs.31.00 lakhs achieved during the year 2005-2006 representing growth of 200 percent over last year. This has been achieved due to sustained publicity campaign through print media and by launching publicity campaigns at Kolkatta, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur and New Delhi during the year. TTDC is focusing on tapping this potential,

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taking into account the tremendous response from the tourists for these value added package tours.

FAIR DIVISION: TTDC is organising the India Tourist and Industrial Fair in the Island Grounds, Chennai every year since 1974. The Fair 2007 was inaugurated on 30.12.2006.

Fair 2007 proved to be a major attraction to the public, recording a crowd attendance of 12 lakhs compared to 10.49 lakhs recorded during Fair 2006. This represents an increase of 14 percent in crowd attendance. Similarly, during Fair 2007 all the private stalls were fully sold after a lapse of 13 years. This clearly indicates the overwhelming response to the India Tourist and Industrial Fair conducted in Island Grounds. This has helped TTDC to record an estimated all time high operating profit of Rs.136.00 lakhs.

Online Reservation of TTDC chain of Hotels and Package Tours:

TTDC has earned the proud distinction of being the first State Tourism Corporation in India to launch the Online Reservation System for its hotels and tours on 02.07.2004.

The Online Reservation System has been launched at website http://www.ttdconline.com. The

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Online bookings made from July 2004 to March 2006 was Rs.47.85 lakhs. However, the Online bookings have registered a quantum leap during 2006-2007 with estimated bookings of Rs.84.00 lakhs representing an increase of 155 percent over the bookings of Rs.33.00 lakhs made during the year 2005-2006.

This indicates the growing popularity among the tourists for this mode of Reservation of TTDC hotels and tours, from any part of the World.

Maintenance of Thiruvalluvar Statue at Kanniyakumari:

The maintenance of Thiruvalluvar Statue at Kanniyakumari was entrusted to TTDC during July 2002. Several improvement works to the tune of Rs.20.00 lakhs for Thiruvalluvar Statue were executed by TTDC. A sum of Rs.40.00 lakhs was deposited with PWD for execution of other improvement works for the statue and these works are in progress. The Government have sanctioned a sum of Rs.133.00 lakhs for execution of certain improvement works at Thiruvalluvar Statue of which work orders have already been issued for execution to the tune of Rs.28.00 lakhs.

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Steps taken to improve the performance of T.T.D.C.

1. 10 coaches were replaced with new Hitech coaches at a cost of Rs.171.00 lakhs. All the 5 Nos. of 35 seater coaches were fitted with Air Suspension to provide maximum comfort to the tourists during travel.

2. A/c Volvo coach was purchased at a cost of Rs.61.25 lakhs and put on road for Thirupathi Tour during December 2006. There has been an overwhelming response for operation of Thirupathi tour through Volvo and these tours are fully booked 5 days in advance. The pay back of the Volvo coach is expected to be less than 1 ½ years.

3. 75 new Airconditioners have been installed at Trichirappalli, Kanniyakumari, Beach Resort Complex, Mamallapuram, and Rameswaram at a total cost of Rs.22.50 lakhs. This has helped TTDC to achieve a growth of 17 percent in lodging income during the year 2006-2007.

4. A new 62.5 KVA Generator has been installed at Hogenakkal to provide uninterrupted power supply to the hotel. 48

5. 105 Boats were purchased at a cost of Rs.60.00 lakhs for operation at various Boat Houses at Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Muttukadu and Pichavaram. This has helped TTDC to achieve a growth of 34 percent in boating income during the year 2006-2007. This has improved the overall profitability of TTDC as boating sector ranks first among the profit centres with a high profit volume ratio of 80 percent.

6. To provide environmental friendly operation of motor boats, TTDC has introduced the operation of Gas Based Motor Boats at Udhagamandalam. 16 Motor Boats which were hitherto operated through petrol/kerosene were converted to Gas Based Motor Boats. This had paid rich dividends by providing cent percent pollution free environment in operation and at the same time achieving substantial cost reduction of over 30 percent.

7. TTDC has introduced operation of Pedal Boats at Boat House, Muttukadu for the first time in its history. This has proved to be a resounding success and the Boat House, Muttukadu has achieved a growth of 77 percent income during the year 2006-2007 compared to 2005-2006. This has helped the Muttukadu Boat House to record an all time high operating profit of

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Rs.50.00 lakhs during 2006-2007 compared to Rs.30.00 lakhs during 2005-2006.

8. Improvement works at Youth Hostel, Kodaikanal were executed at a cost of Rs.28.00 lakhs.

9. Upgradation of Boat House at Kodaikanal was executed at a cost of Rs.13.00 lakhs.

10. Upgradation of hotel at Hogenakkal was executed at a cost of Rs.16.00 lakhs.

11. Upgradation of Boat House, Yercaud was executed at a cost of Rs.25.00 lakhs.

12. Upgradation works were executed at Tiruchirappalli hotel at a cost of Rs.18.00 lakhs.

Steps proposed to be taken for improvement of performance during the year 2007-2008:

1. To sustain the growth achieved by the hotels sector during the year 2007-2008, it has been proposed to upgrade the hotels at Kancheepuram, Coimbatore,, Kodaikanal, Rameswaram, Kanniyakumari, Madurai- II, Thanjavur and Yercaud at an estimated cost of Rs.300.00 lakhs.

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2. TTDC has renovated 37 cottages at Beach Resort Complex, Mamallapuram at a cost of Rs.180.00 lakhs, which were completely destroyed by Tsunami. All these renovated cottages with modern furniture were converted into fully Airconditioned cottages. There is tremendous response among the tourists for these renovated cottages and Beach Resort Complex, Mamallapuram has achieved an all time high record of profit of Rs.50.00 lakhs during the year 2006-2007 surpassing the previous best profits of Rs.23.00 lakhs recorded during the year 2003-2004. In view of the overwhelming response of the tourists for the renovated cottages, it has been proposed to renovate 20 economy cottages and construct 20 additional cottages on top of these economy cottages at an estimated cost of Rs.200.00 lakhs. This would help TTDC to meet the growing demand for beach cottages especially during the weekends.

3. To sustain the phenomenal growth achieved by the Boat House, Muttukadu, it has been proposed to provide a face lift to the existing Boat House at a cost of Rs.45.00 lakhs with provision of car parking facilities. This would help TTDC to generate additional revenue during the year 2007-2008.

4. In view of the resounding success of the Volvo coach operation, it has been proposed to purchase one more Volvo coach at an estimated cost of Rs.62.00 lakhs. 51

5. 1066 Latex Foam, Pincore type mattresses would be purchased and supplied to all the major hotels at an estimated cost of Rs.59.00 lakhs after a lapse of more than 15 years.

6. 250 KVA capacity generator will be installed at an estimated cost of Rs.18.00 lakhs at Beach Resort Complex, Mamallapuram to provide uninterrupted power supply.

7. The Kodaikanal hotel has achieved a growth of 22 percent income during the year 2006-2007. The Kodaikanal hotel is having 3 floors. Hence it has been proposed to install a lift at an estimated cost of Rs.15.40 lakhs.

8. 68 boats will be purchased at an estimated cost of Rs.30.00 lakhs to augment the income from boating sector.

OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE:

TTDC has been taking several steps to augment the revenue and optimize its profitability. All the major hotels are being upgraded in a phased manner. The 52

old worn out coaches are being replaced with modern Hitech coaches. Volvo coaches have been introduced. These steps have paid rich dividends and the occupancy levels of the hotels have improved by 5 percent during the year 2006-2007. The income earned through the Rail-cum-Road tours have also registered quantum leap. With the proposed outsourcing of the work of ‘D’ category workmen in TTDC hotels and renovation of the major hotels, it is anticipated that TTDC would sustain its growth and improve its profitability during 2007-2008.

Conclusion

To sum up, Tamil Nadu Tourism will try to achieve number one position in tourist arrivals and provide the best tourist infrastructural facilities in India. During 2007-08, Tamil Nadu Tourism will adopt a holistic approach for the promotion of tourism so that every segment of Tourism industry is fully exploited to give a big boost to the state’s economy. Tamil Nadu Tourism will attach equal importance to other aspects of tourism viz. generation of employment opportunities especially in the rural areas and thereby strive for poverty alleviation. Infrastructural facilities would be planned in such a way that they cater not only to the immediate needs of tourists but also fulfill the long term requirements of the local population. While promoting nature tourism, great caution would be exercised in ensuring that there is no threat

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to ecology. Mega tourism projects would be carefully planned and executed to cover tourist centres and the places frequented by tourists like hotels, pilgrim centres, shopping arcades, amusement parks, etc. Tamil Nadu will muster all its resources to market ‘an enriching experience’ to everyone who visits this fabulous place.

N. SURESHRAJAN MINISTER FOR TOURISM

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Annexure

List of Heritage Towns

Sl. Heritage Town District No 1. Kancheepuram 2. Mamallapuram Kancheepuram 3. Sriperumpudur

4. Chidambaram 5. Pichavaram 6. Marudhur 7. Kurinjipadi Cuddalore 8. Marakkanam 9. Thiruvanthipuram 10. Rameswaram 11. Vaalinokkam Ramanathapuram 12. Sethukkarai 13. Srirangam Tiruchirappalli 14. Srivilliputhur Virudhunagar 15. Thanjavur Thanjavur 16. Kumbakonam 17. Gangaikonda Perambalur Cholapuram

18. Madurai Madurai 19. Dindigul 20. Tiruchendur Thoothukudi 21. Thiruthani Thiruvallur

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22. Kanniyakumari 23. Padmanabha Kanniyakumari puram 24. Kolachal 25. Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai 26. Gingee 27. Parikkal Villupuram 28. Thiruvakkarai 29. 30. Karaikudi Sivagangai 31. Iddaikattur 32. Pillayarpatti 33. Kalaiyarkoil

Navathirupathigal Places: 34. i) Thirukkalur Thoothukudi ii) Kurumbur

35. Manapppadu 36. Tranquebar 37. Poompuhar Nagapattinam 38. Nagore 39. Velankanni 40. Courtallam Tirunelveli 41. Tirunelveli 42. Tiruchengode Namakkal 43. Perur Coimbatore 44. Bhavani Erode 45. Sithannavasal 46. Avudayarkoil Pudukottai 47. Thirumayam

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