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Chennai , Oct. 20

THE Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalatithaa, unveiled a seven-point action plan to realise the full potential of tourism in the State and to position it as an international tourist destination in the Asia Pacific region.

Inaugurating the 64th Skal World Congress here today, Ms Jayalatithaa said that the strategy was to transform Tamil Nadu from being the Gateway to South India to the tourism hub in this part of the country.

The action plan included unlocking the hidden treasures of Tamil Nadu, positioning Chennai and Coimbatore as destinations for international conventions and exhibitions, twinning of destinations, improving international accessibility and upgrading the transport network, filling up infrastructure gaps in major tourist destinations, aggressive focussed marketing, and facilitating charter flights and cruise tourism.

Ms Jayalatithaa said that plan was to reposition Chennai as the city premiere in South India, as a gateway to the world, and as the hub of culture and knowledge.

A master plan with an outlay of about $4 billion for a comprehensive infrastructure development in the Chennai Metropolitan Area has been finalised.

The medium-term core outlay of over $2 billion lays a major emphasis on energy distribution, traffic and transportation, water supply and sewerage, solid waste disposal and housing.

Chennai and Coimbatore will be promoted as centres for hosting exhibitions and conventions.

The new convention centre at the Chennai Trade Centre will be ready by early 2004, she said.

The Government plans to work closely with the tourism sector in other countries in this part of the world and offer twin country destinations to the visitors from the West and the Far East.

The Chief Minister said that some of the destinations in the State required micro level infrastructural facilities for the tourist. Some of these developments were in progress.

The Government also plans to invite more travel writers and other key players in the filed on familiarisation trips to visit Tamil Nadu and write about the State, Ms Jayalalithaa said.

The congress has drawn around 500 tourism professionals from 38 countries and will be held over the next five days. Besides the conference there is also a tourism exhibition at the Chennai Trade Centre, the venue, where an exhibition of arts and crafts of Tamil Nadu has been organised.

Ms Mary Bennett, President, Skal International, in her presidential address, said that after three bad years, starting with the global slump in 2001, the events of 9/11 and the outbreak of SARS has seen an increase in arrivals this year. But the industry has proved to be resilient and has to grow in the next few years.

Ms Bennett, quoting the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) figures, said that the tourism industry saw 715 million arrivals in 2002, which is expected to grow to 1.6 billion arrivals in 2020.

Europe will experience slower growth than the Asia Pacific region with China taking the lead. The other two destinations, which will be in the top ten, will be Hong Kong and Russia.

Ms Bennett said that the consumer will have an increasing number of choices to make.

The market place, she said is evolving as consumer needs are changing. An increase in the population of the elderly means that there would be more guided tours and tour groups and at the same time it would mean that there would be a decrease in sports and adventure tourism.

Ms Bennett said that the Internet has made an enormous impact on the tourism market with e-tickets, dependence on intermediates like travel agents coming down and the emergence of low cost airlines.

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