Top in tourism, TN has more spots to explore beaches

TIRUCHY: While there are a good number of destinations available in the central region usually frequented by tourists, there still are a few more yet-to-be-explored spots in the region which has huge tourism potential.

The locals, meanwhile, have urged the government to promote these unexplored places which would boost even the forex to a phenomenal extent. According to the Union Ministry of Tourism (MoT) handbook released recently, Tamil Nadu has the largest tourism industry in India with a national share of 21.31 per cent and 21.86 per cent of domestic and foreign tourist visits in the country. This apart, the recent survey states that Tamil Nadu has topped in terms of domestic visits with 11.50 crore tourists in 2022. Due to moderate rainfall and rare landslides to manageable summers, and super-cozy winters, Tamil Nadu is a paradise for walkers and explorers.

The MoT further stated Tamil Nadu has a more stable climate than most of the important tourist destinations in the world and is one of the leading tourist destinations in India. The State has a variety of tourist attractions spanning temples, hill stations, wildlife, landscapes, and beaches and offers multiple attractions for various segments of tourists.

According to the Tamil Nadu Tourism department portal, the State is home to 15 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 5 National Parks, 15 Bird Sanctuaries and 5 Tiger Reserves and has 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 411 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monuments. The Tamil Nadu tourism department’s newsletter in March 2023 stated that the department has identified ten tourism segments for development and promotion in years to come. Among the major attractions like temples, hill stations, wildlife, and beaches, several of them are present in the central region but need special attention which has more tourism developmental potential spots.

For instance, Pachamalai is a tourism destination that has been said to be one of the most potential spots for developing tourism in Tiruchy with the support of the forest department. The destination which is located in Thuraiyur has as many as 54 species of birds, 135 species of butterflies, and a good population of deer in Kurinji Malai, Sobanapuram and Manmalai located in the Pachamalai hillock. Through the Pachamalai eco-tourism project that was announced in 2013, a few developmental works including the viewpoint, children’s park, tree-top houses, and other basic amenities were established to the tune of Rs 2.30 crore. However, further developmental works were not initiated due to the lethargic attitude of the officials. “If the eco-tourism project took off, the tourist flow would increase in the spot and it would have been one of the most sought spots next to Kodaikanal and Nilgiris,” said A Velmurugan, a tourism enthusiast from Tiruchy.

He further said that there are several demands put forth to the government for a makeover of the Pachamalai hillock destination and hope the government is optimistic in bringing development.

Meanwhile, the Tiruchy district administration has sent a proposal with a special mention of the Pachamalai eco-tourism project. The District Collector M Pradeep Kumar had recently organised a meeting of officials from revenue, forest, PWD, Water Resource, Tourism, Adi Dravidar, and Tribal Welfare departments and discussed elaborately and sent a proposal seeking various developmental works.