'Tourism fails to get its due in South'

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 27. Tourism is yet to be given due priority in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka despite the three leading States of the South having been able to attract massive industrial investment as amply evidenced in the case of information technology (IT) sector, according to the former Union Tourism Secretary, Mr. B. K. Goswami.

Although the three States have immense tourism potential and rich cultural heritage as Kerala, tourism-related infrastructure was not yet in place, Mr. Goswami told The Hindu here today.

A former Director General of Tourism, Mr. Goswami, who is associated with the tourism sector for over two decades, said the three States were not properly positioned in the tourism circuit like Kerala.

"They simply lack vision. The need of the hour is a masterplan with long-term and short-term targets. Consistency in tourism- related policies, continuity of tourism personnel at the helm of affairs and commitment to tourism as a concept are something they cannot hope to do without,'' Mr. Goswami said.

Rather than promoting the State as a whole in the tourism market, the approach should be to showcase its individual tourist destinations. "The approach by Kerala in promoting beaches, backwaters and Ayurveda is laudable and will be able to attract foreign and domestic tourists in great numbers,'' he said.

Cuisine is an important element in attracting foreign tourists and the Southern States are yet to make use of the South Indian cuisine in tourism promotion so far. A study had revealed that it is yoga and cuisine that attracted Japanese tourists to the country. Udipi is synonymous for its cuisine, but not many venture into Karnataka looking for its culinary delicacies as they are not promoted.

Pointing out that the District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs) set up in Kerala were a success, Mr. Goswami advocated setting up the DTPCs in all districts of Tamil Nadu to create an awareness among the local population about tourism. "Tourism cannot flourish in isolation and hence the local population should be made aware of the sector,'' he said.

Mr. Goswami regretted that Karnataka has not taken the advantage of its vast coastal line and natural beauty. The State has also not been able to offer continuity in tourism policy and promote tourism around heritage buildings and monuments.

Though Andhra Pradesh had surged ahead in IT and biotechnology (BT) sectors, integrated development of tourism is yet to be achieved. He hoped that the Government would not find it difficult to integrate tourism as infrastructure development is taking place rapidly.

A trustee of the Vaishnodevi Shrine Board for the last 15 years, Mr. Goswami said the Southern States should also take the initiative in promoting pilgrimage tourism. Pointing out that the initiative was taken when the Union Tourism Minister, Mr. Jagmohan, was serving as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the city gets Rs. 400 crores from pilgrims visiting the shrine alone and the local economy Rs. 1,000 crores annually.

``Organised effort from all concerned along with creation of basic facilities is needed to promote pilgrimage tourism in major pilgrim centres in the South such as Kancheepuram, Thanjavur, Madurai, Guruvayur and Sabarimala. Package tours can also be arranged linking the religious places in these States,'' he said.

On tourism promotion of the adjoining Lakshadweep, he said that being an ecologically fragile area, the promotion should be entrusted to a private enterprise with maturity and expertise.

Mr. Goswami, a former adviser to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and later to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh immediately after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, said States should also organise festivals to attract tourists. Nilgiri's is the ideal venue for holding tea festival and Kochi for spices festival, he said.

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