Ancient temples help TN top tourism chart

CHENNAI: The rich temple heritage of Tamil Nadu is bringing tourists by droves. For the first time, the state has topped in the domestic tourist arrivals, and came a close second after Maharashtra in foreign tourist arrivals. A state government report said while 25 crore domestic tourists visited the popular temple towns in the state in 2013, the number of foreign tourists from countries like the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain and Italy touched 39.9 lakh.
The culturally rich temple cities and towns, including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Thanjavur, Trichy, Madurai and Ramanathapuram, drew foreigners in large numbers. The celebrated world heritage site of Brihadeeswarar Temple or Big Temple in Thanjavur, the towering Meenakshi Sundereswarar Temple in Madurai, the Kamatchi Amman Temple in Kancheepuram and Rockfort/Uchi Pillaiyar Temple in Trichy were the biggest draws.
Stunned by the huge tourist arrivals, the state government has drawn up an ambitious plan to strengthen facilities in temple towns. “We have kept a target of getting 1.5 crore foreign tourists by 2023,” tourism minister S P Shunmuganathan told the state assembly on Tuesday.
Mohit Gupta, chief business officer-holidays, MakeMyTrip, said the state had become an ideal destination for those seeking a relaxing holiday, as it was blessed with rich natural beauty, some stunning botanical and horticultural gardens, beach resorts, impressive waterfalls and zoological parks. “Unlike the northern states, Tamil Nadu has an even distribution of good hotels; many international hospitality brands have turned to the south to set up their establishments,” he said.
Hill stations like Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud, heritage attractions, beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and adventure tourism sites lure domestic tourists throughout the year. Cox and Kings team leader (south) M G Babu said the spurt in foreign tourist arrivals could be attributed to the desire to explore the land of temples and its striking features. “Lot of Spanish and French tourists visit Tiruvannamalai for a spiritual experience,” he said. A world heritage site, Mamallapuram, a Pallava splendor with rock-cut caves and monolithic free standing temples, has been a big attraction among foreigners.
Rural tourism is picking up pace, say tour operators. If Spanish arrive during mid-year, other Europeans hang about during monsoon, while Americans and British love the winter of Tamil Nadu. Padmanabapuram palace of the erstwhile Travancore kings in Nagercoil and Ramanathasamy Temple in Ramanthapuram are on the must see-list. For domestic tourists, Chennai remains their favourite in north and Kodaikanal in the south.
Public representatives point to lack of amenities that still keep away visitors. CPM MLA R Annadurai urged the government to provide toilets, cloak room facilities, handbooks on the significance of sites and maps and engage guides. Pulicat lake, a paradise for wetland birds, still does not have facilities for tourists. “Cable cars can be explored for hill stations like Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Kollimalai and Yelagiri. Ports can be roped in to promote tourism,” he said.
The Sri Andal temple in Srivilliputhur, the tower of which depicted in TN’s official logo, lacked even basic amenities. “Identify new tourist destinations to attract more tourists,” said CPI MLA K Ulaganathan.