Tamil Nadu tourism department to promote dawn festival

TN welcomes private initiatives in tourism - Time of India
10 Mar 2009, 0411 hrs IST, V Ayyappan, TNN

CHENNAI: Public Private Partnership (PPP) is going to be the watchword for Tamil Nadu Tourism, which is planning to tie-up with industry and
private firms to provide better facilities, logistics and even packages for tourists.

Sources said that the department was planning to open up more spheres for PPP initiatives, encouraged by the feed back received from industry in a recently held seminar on role of corporate sector in tourism promotion.

Construction of accommodation
, infrastructure development, providing basic amenities to tourists and managing and maintenance of tourist spots will be some of the areas that may be outsourced to private agencies in the future.

"We have received good response from industry for partnership. They have expressed interest to promote tourism promotion, development of tourist spots, and provision of infrastructure at tourist
spots," said Tourism commissioner M Rajaram.

Taking a leaf out from the India Tourism initiative to lease out heritage monuments, Tamil Nadu Tourism also wanted to outsource maintenance of state owned tourist monuments and tourist spots for maintenance and upkeep, he added.

"It will be a good idea to lease out monuments like Tarangambadi to private agencies to maintain it and also to provide and operate facilities for tourists. The India Tourism's
initiative to lease out heritage monuments will have to be implemented when the project is expanded to other states also."

Tourism secretary V Irai Anbu said that "tourism department will like the corporate sector to provide accommodation and install infrastructure facilities at lesser known and small tourist spots across the state. Infrastructure and accommodation for tourists are two areas that require more attention."

Tourist arrivals to the state have not decreased even after economic slowdown has reduced the number of tourist arrivals to other parts of the country. And Tamil Nadu expects more tourists to visit its tourist attractions in the coming months.

Hence, "we will need better facilities at tourist spots. Already, we are receiving good support from private firms to develop eco-tourism and rural tourism spots. Dhan Foundation is doing a good job by developing and maintaining eco-tourist village," said Rajaram.

Cycle tourism, launched in April 2008, is a good PPP example. TI Cycles have provided bicycles at Mamallapuram and Madurai. These can be hired by the tourists, especially foreign tourists to pedal around the town for sight seeing.


"More such innovative ideas from private sector will be useful in attracting more tourists," said an official.

Tamil Nadu tourism already has tie-ups with corporate to promote boat festival, food festival, summer festivals at Ooty and Kodaikanal, Chennai Sangamam, heritage walk, hop-on hop-off tour, bed and breakfast scheme rural tourism and dawn festival at Cuddalore.

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Dawn festival is conducted in Pichavaram to promote the eco-tourism. Anybody knows what is "bed and breakfast scheme rural tourism" ?

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