Tamil Nadu chalks out plan to woo Gujarati tourists

With Gujarat accounting for the highest number of pilgrim tourists to Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (TTDCL) has embarked on a marketing strategy to attract more visitors from the state.

TTDCL officials in Ahmedabad on Wednesday said the corporation has entered into an arrangement with the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL), under which a counter of TTDCL will begin at the TCGL premises, off Ashram Road, from March.

"Tourists from Gujarat can now make bookings from the office of TCGL apart from the two travel agents who have already been authorised in Ahmedabad to make bookings for TTDCL," said T N Balusamy, joint director of Tourism of the government of Tamil Nadu tourism office.

The two travel agencies of Ahmedabad that have been authorised by the TTDCL to make bookings for it are Chandan Travels and Syndicate Tours and Travels.

Besides, the TTDCL has opened a new office at Nanpura in Surat, where tourists from south Gujarat will be able to make bookings for TTDCL facilities in Tamil Nadu.

The corporation has also appointed Transline Tours and Travels in Vadodara to make bookings for TTDCL facilities.

"We are also considering a proposal to begin Jain group travels to Tamil Nadu from Gujarat, as Jains require a specific kind of food. The Jain tours concept is likely to be implemented soon. This will help us serve specific communities better and to their satisfaction, apart from enhancing tourist flow in the state," said N Ravi, manager, TTDCL.

With effect from April 24, 2004, TTDCL will introduce a rail-cum-road package tour specifically for Gujarati tourists.

During the ten-day train tour beginning from Ahmedabad by Navjivan Express, the tourists will visit Tirupati, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Pondicherry, Trichy, Kodaikanal, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, Tanjavur and Mamallapuram before alighting at Chennai to board the Navjivan Express back to Ahmedabad.

The per-person charge, inclusive of accommodation, transport and food, will be Rs 7,850 for adults and Rs 6,300 for children.

More than 80 per cent of all the domestic tourists visiting places of interest in Tamil Nadu are from the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

"Barring these four states, Gujarat is fast emerging as the single biggest state from where tourists visit TN. We expect the number of tourists to be five or six per cent of the total domestic tourists in a year or two," Ravi said.

Mahabalipuram and Rameswaram are being developed as world heritage sites.

More than 5,000 temples in Tamil Nadu are over 800 years old. "Tamil Nadu has temples, beaches, ayurvedic healing facilities and several other facilities for tourists," Ravi said.