Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the services of five new luxury buses belonging to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), procured at a cost of Rs 3 crore as part of a development programme charted out to improve tourism in the State.
Since Tamil Nadu had more tourist spots of diverse variety like ancient temples, rolling hills and natural forests and beautiful beaches than most other States, development of tourism had the potential to increase local employment, earn foreign exchange, an official press release said.
The State’s towns and cities are also linked by road, rail and air from every part of the country and the TTDC, set up in 1971 by the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, has its own bus services, tour schedules, own hotel network – in the name of Tamil Nadu Hotels- and boat services, the release said.
The TTDC conducted package tours providing tourists a wide range of choices to visit the hill stations of Tamil Nadu, temples and also cities and towns in the neighbouring States. Also its bus services are of different categories starting from Volvo luxury carriages to ordinary luxury buses to 18 seat luxury vans.
Between the period of May 7, 2021 and May 31, 2024, the total of 15 vehicles owned by TTDC had taken 3,03,721 tourists to different places. Now the five new buses – four coaches with 35 seat capacity and another with 18 seats- have been added to the fleet.
The new vehicles come with facilities for long distance and long duration travels like air conditioning, air suspension, GPS wifi, mobile phone charger in every seat and exhaustive boot space for the tourists to keep their luggage for long term journeys.
Besides, the tourism department has also announced 12 ambitious projects aimed at developing tourism in various places across the State like conducting a Tamil Nadu Travel Mart at Chennai at a cost of Rs one crore to develop tourism by popularizing tourist spots in the State and creating a network with other stakeholders all over the country.
The government has earmarked Rs 18.80 crore for upgrading the hotels run by TTDC in Ooty, Connor, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Hokkengal, Coimbatore, Trichy, Krishnagiri, Hosur, Thanjavur, Pichavaram, Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, Tiruchendur, Kanchipuram, Tirunelveli and Mamallapuram. The project aims at improving the boarding and lodging facilities in the hotels to attract more tourists.
A feasibility study report would be prepared at a cost of Rs 50 lakh to explore the possibilities of promoting rural tourism and astro tourism in the State by identifying the right places. Under astro tourism, visitors to the State would be getting the privilege of watching the celestial wonders at night hours and for that observatories would be set up at different places.
Rural tourism would provide memorable experiences to people, mainly from the urban concrete jungles, to savour the beauty of nature and live with nature by arranging interaction with farmers, visit farms and fields, devour rural cuisine and enjoy nature in its pristine form and beauty. Promoting rural tourism would also be boon to the local people as it would enhance employment opportunities.
A master plan would be prepared at a cost of Rs 1 crore to develop the Pudupattinam Beach in Thanjavur district and the Palaverkadu lake near Chennai to provide facilities for tourists and another Rs one crore would be spent on promoting water sports like sailing, surfing, rowing, kayaking and other adventure game on the 1,076 km long coastline that had endowed Tamil Nadu with the most number of beaches = 13 per cent more than the national average.
