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T.N. most preferred tourist destination in South, says study
By Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, JAN. 31. Tamil Nadu is the most preferred tourist destination in the South, both for domestic and international tourists. It is visited for its temples as well as for its beaches and hills, emerging as a more complete destination. However, foreign tourists as a percentage of total tourists to South India is just 1.45 per cent.
The other emerging destination in the South for international travellers is Kerala, popular for its nature tourism - beach and backwaters, as also ayurveda and relaxation. But it is perceived more as a ``premium destination'' than a ``volume destination''. In the domestic sector, Andhra Pradesh is the other favoured destination satisfying the religious needs.
These are the findings of a FICCI-Ferguson study on the Tourism Potential for South India released here today by the secretary-general of FICCI, A. Mitra.
The report says that South India accounts for 21 per cent of the overall tourist arrivals in India representing about 0.80 per cent of the global tourist flows. Tamil Nadu alone accounts for 60 per cent of the international tourist arrivals in the South, followed by 18 per cent in Kerala, 8 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 7 per cent in Karnataka and 2 per cent in Pondicherry.
Realising the tourism industry's over-dependence on the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur Golden Triangle and the resultant neglect of the tourism potential in the rest of the country, FICCI has started its `Look South' initiative to market South India as a seamless tourist destination. The first conference towards this was held in Kochi in April last.
In association with the Department of Tourism of the Andhra Pradesh Government, FICCI is organising the second Tourism Conference and Exhibition on South India, `Look South II', on February 3 in Hyderabad. It shall be a joint endeavour of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry. The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been made a partner organisation to promote the concept of regional tourism. It was felt that the tourism industry's dependence on fluctuations of foreign arrivals could be minimised if domestic and regional tourism was promoted.
The vision of the conference is to make South India a ``truly seamless destination''. Mr. Mitra said this meant that a tourist entering at any point in one State pays for complete circuit at any point and traverses a cross section of destinations across the State, exit at another point, without requiring to complete any other formalities. The entry point then redistributes the revenues and taxes across the circuit participants. He said the formation of a `South India Tourism Promotion and Marketing Board' could also be of help.
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