CHENNAI: As Tamil Nadu’s tourism sector is recovering from the impact of the pandemic, State Tourism Secretary B Chandramohan feels that it will cash in and rebrand the tourism sector during the 44th Chess Olympiad
Will Chess Olympiad help rebrand the tourism sector?
Post-Covid 19, the tourism sector is slowly getting back on its feet. Domestic tourism has picked up pace. Last summer, I think most of the hotels and tourist destinations saw 100% occupancy. Mamallapuram and Chennai will be the most talked about destinations for the next few weeks. The State government is also making all efforts to showcase its culture. We are also ensuring that Yoga is made available to all the participants in their hotels. The Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy is making arrangements to teach Yoga and also stress management at various hotels for all the delegates and officials.
What steps have been taken to promote tourism?
At the venue, we are putting up a huge tourism department pavilion to showcase tourist destinations of the State. Within the site, a small stall for handicrafts will be made available. Packaged tours have also been arranged. A small booklet on Chennai and Mamallapuram tourist destinations will be given to all delegates as part of the welcome kit. We are also starting a hop-on hop-off tour during the Olympiad. It will cover all tourist destinations on ECR for free.
What’s the revenue expectation?
On average across the nation, 9% of GDP is expected to be contributed by the tourism sector. However, Tamil Nadu is the top tourist destination in terms of domestic and International tourist arrivals. We expect that at least 10% to 12% of the State GDP will be contributed by the tourism sector.
Is the State looking beyond Chennai to promote beach tourism?
Beach Tourism is not untapped. We have certain challenges when it comes to the east coast. The sea is very rough and therefore makes it difficult for water sports. Factoring in these difficulties we are promoting water sports as appropriate. Kovalam, has emerged as a surfing destination, Rameswaram is for yachting kayaking and standup paddling. Tuticorin recently hosted a National Kite boarding event,
The tourism department is giving an impetus to water sports and all adventure sports in general. The government has also come out with a scheme for the registration of adventure tourism operators and a GO has been issued.
Has there been an increase in footfall after opening international travel?
International footfall is slowly increasing. We are trying to popularise and revive tourism by participating in international tourism trade fests. The first one was done when the Chief Minister visited Dubai. During the Dubai expo, the tourism department put up exhibits in the India pavilion promoting the state as a tourist destination