Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has announced a seven-point programme to develop infrastructure and other amenities for the tourism sector in the state with an estimated expenditure of Rs 550 crore.
The initiatives include development of tourism parks, rural tourism through cluster development, infrastructure development of tourism circuits and roadside amenities for tourists, tourism activities using helicopters and cruises and rope car facilities at hill stations.
In lines with the Santosa Park in Singapore, the Tamil Nadu government would set up two tourism parks – one in Chennai and the other in Trichy – at a cost of Rs 50 crore each to attract tourists. Village tourism clusters uniting five to seven villages, which follow similar cottage handicraft activities and traditional art forms, would be formed to attract tourists.
Such clusters would be developed in villages falling under Chettinadu region, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Coimbatore and Namakkal districts.
Under the programme, an East Coast Road Tourism Circuit including Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts for spiritual and heritage tour and a Southern Tourism Circuit including Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin for spiritual and environmental tourism would be identified and developed.
The circuits would be developed at a cost of Rs 450 crore in 10 years with assistance from the Asian Development Bank, said a statement from the chief minister's office. Operations for Phase-I would commence with the East Coast Road Circuit 2011. Roadside amenities would be created in 25 places on state and national highways through government and private models.
In order to create skilled manpower for the programme, training on preparation of food and beverages would be provided to around 3,500 youngsters below the age of 28 years who has a minimum qualification of eighth standard. Another 500 youngsters would be trained to drive automobiles through driving schools, the release added.
