CHENNAI: In a bid to attract more tourists from other states and abroad, the State Tourism Department has decided to provide modern tourist infrastructure facilities at Mamallapuram, Kanniyakumari, Tiruchendur, Velankanni, and Nagore.
The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has been entrusted to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard.
A senior official from the TTDC said that the preparation of the project report would be outsourced though a bidding process. "The DPR will assess the current infrastructure facilities at these destinations and identify gaps or deficiencies. Based on this assessment, the consultants will propose solutions for overall development, facelift the existing attractions, and recommend new projects for implementation by the department,” the official said.
The project report will focus on developing these places as comprehensive tourism destinations, focusing on sustainable tourism development that aligns with the unique ecological, cultural, and socio-economic characteristics of the respective destination.
"We will also identify and propose technically and financially viable tourism interventions and development projects at each of these destinations and prepare DPRs for such priority anchor projects," he said, adding that the aim is to develop unique, state-of-the-art tourism destinations that provide exclusive, enriching, entertaining and eco-friendly experiences to the visitors.
The TTDC official said that the scope of the study would include understanding the present status of Mamallapuram, Kanniyakumari, Tiruchendur, Velankanni, and Nagore, and formulating new proposals and solutions for infrastructure deficiencies in the destination, developing attractions for diversified activities, and decongesting existing tourist attractions.
The proposal would also assess the spending patterns and capacity of the tourists visiting the State, covering average expenditure on accommodation, activities and food, he said. There would be a detailed financial and business plan for the proposed development based on the product mix, its sizing, costing estimation.
"The business plan will also assess and recommend the expected footfalls and their growth rate and arrive at expected revenues and also the anticipated annual expenditure," the official said. The detailed project report will be completed within four months starting from February, the official added.
Mamallapuram
Kanniyakumari
Tiruchendur
Velankanni
Nagore