Date:21/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/21/stories/2004082101791900.htm

Back Bid to sell TN as tourist spot `paying'

R.Y. Narayanan

Mr Shaktikanta Das

Coimbatore , Aug. 20

A THREE-PRONGED strategy adopted by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) to hard-sell Tamil Nadu as a preferred tourist destination among domestic and international tourists, seems to be paying off with a jump in tourist arrivals in the State in the past 18 months.

The corporation had also witnessed a manifold increase in net profit in 2003-04 and has wiped off the entire accumulated losses.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Shaktikanta Das, Commissioner of Tourism and Managing Director, TTDC, said the corporation has been focussing on marketing and promotion of Tamil Nadu as a tourist destination, towards which it organised the SKAL World Congress in Chennai in October last year, which facilitated the coming together of tourism professionals from across the globe.

Subsequently, TTDC ran advertisement campaigns in national and international publications and in the in-flight publications of various airlines. By regularly interacting with international travel writers, TTDC has also been able to provide an insight into the tourism wealth of the Sate to the international readers.

He said the corporation has also been participating in international and domestic fairs to showcase the rich diversity of Tamil Nadu, which is home to places of varied tourist interests-wild life tourism, beach tourism, cultural tourism, health spas, hill stations, adventure tourism etc.

In fact, after the participation of TTDC in the ` Incredible India' exhibition in Kuala Lumpur December 2003, the number of tourists coming through the TTDC network from Malaysia has gone up substantially. He pointed out that while the State has rich tourism potential, what was probably lacking earlier was proper packaging that has now been taken up by TTDC.

Mr Das said the corporation also has been addressing the issue of providing certain `micro-level' infrastructure facilities, such as bus stops, parking lots, rest sheds, improvement to linking roads and provision of street lights, in places of tourist interest. Annually about Rs 20-Rs 25 crore is being allocated for these works, for which the State Government provides budgetary support and assistance from the Centre and allocations from the area development funds of MPs/MLAs also are being obtained.

TTDC is also engaged in the development of new products highlighting the `hidden treasures' of the State.

He cited the case of the heritage of Chettinad - the exquisitely laid out palaces and mansions, its varied cuisine etc which has now caught the fancy of travellers from Europe.

While places of major tourists attractions are already well chronicled, it is these small places that arouse the curiosity of international tourists.

Mr Das said another area of interest is promotion of medical tourism and TTDC has already held discussions with leading private hospitals in Chennai and Coimbatore in this regard and a plan of action for joint promotion and marketing of this concept is being evolved.

The corporation is also serious in the promotion of Coimbatore and Chennai as places for holding international-scale conferences and conventions

The TTDC MD said during 2003, the State received 2.7 crore domestic tourists and 9 lakh foreign tourists. This reflected a 12 per cent increase in the arrival of foreign tourists and a 10 per cent growth in the visit of domestic tourists to Tamil Nadu compared to 2002.

In the first half of this year, the growth in the visit of foreign tourists was 15 per cent and domestic tourists' flow also has shown appreciable growth.

The TTDC MD said the corporation had recorded a net profit of Rs 2.6 crore during 2003-04 compared to Rs 45 lakh in the previous year.

The total turnover last year was about Rs 37 crore and the entire accumulated losses of TTDC have been wiped out. During the current year, he hoped to better the previous year's show.

TTDC, which has 54 hotels, has so far franchised 11 hotels and four restaurants to the private sector and its plan is to concentrate on major TTDC hotels in select centres of tourist importance.