Date:28/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/28/stories/2004082800970500.htm

Back 2-day CII expo on Madurai from today

Our Bureau

Chennai , Aug. 27

IN an effort to promote Madurai as an international tourist destination and to highlight the investment opportunities in tourism, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is organising a conference and an exposition.

The second edition of `Madurai Mystique' will be held on August 28 and 29 in Madurai.

According to a press release, the objective of the two-day event is to promote Madurai as the gateway to culture, heritage and tourism in Tamil Nadu. It would also create a platform to showcase the tourism potential of the State.

The special feature for this year's event will be the presentation of papers on tourism by students from various colleges. 27 papers were received for this competition. The other important feature is the launch of "Branding Madurai" as gateway to culture and heritage during the event.

Dr Anandhavalli Mahadevan, Vice-Chancellor, Mother Theresa Women University, will be the Chief Guest. Mr T. Rajendran, Madurai District Collector, will launch the "Madurai Brand".

Other key speakers at the conference include Dr D. Daniel, Head and Coordinator, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU); Prof J. Balan, Head-Department of Tourism, MKU; Mr Steve Borgia, President & CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts; Cdr L.M. Krishnan, President, Starline Travels Ltd; Mr N. Prakash, General Manager - Sales & Marketing (SR), Hotel Taj Coromandel.

The event will also provide an opportunity for the tourism and allied industries to showcase the products and services offered by them. Apart from delegates, more than 2,000 visitors are expected to visit the exposition.