TN gears up to woo foreign tourists

Chennai, Oct. 31: The Tamil Nadu tourism department anticipates a windfall of foreign exchange and foreign tourists arrivals this season and hopes to make good out of the arrivals. It has proposed to evolve special packages in arrangement with three private airlines, which have expressed interest in introducing low fares.

“Jet Airlines, Paramount and Spice Jet are willing to introduce low fares and we are in the process of working out a tie-up with these carriers to attract foreigners in a big way,” tourism director A.C. Mohandoss said. In the absence of any major threat of swine flu or adverse impact of global recession, the state is set to receive an increase in inbound tourist arrivals and the low fares and other special packages would provide the leverage to attract more visitors.

“We are presently concentrating on Malaysian families to increase the inbound traffic,” Mr Mohandoss said. Speaking to this correspondent on Saturday, he said the department had received a large number of e-mails from China and Hong Kong seeking advice on accommodation and tour of the state.

Heritage trails apart, foreigners are keen on visiting the wildlife sanctuaries and beaches. “Recently, a group from Russia undertook a wildlife tour of Mudumalai and another group, comprising Arabs from Dubai, undertook a tour of the state,” he said, adding that the Arabs preferred to stay at the TTDC resort at Mahabalipuram.

He claimed that the effective overseas campaign launched by tourism secretary, Mr V. Irai Anbu, had ensured that numerous attractions of Tamil Nadu, including the long coastline, its wildlife and eco tourism, temple trails and heritage, obtained wide exposure abroad.

However, the state was yet to market spa tourism that the neighbouring Kerala banks upon next to backwaters to run its economy. TTDC had recently launched a bamboo resort for an Ayurveda spa and there are several private spas that are retaining their presence through their own marketing strategy.