Tamil Nadu to develop recreation facilities for lighthouse tourism projects
Chennai: The Centre's novel lighthouse tourism project will not entirely be executed by it. Islets of attractions around these once reliable beacons of navigation for mariners for centuries, will be developed by the Tamil Nadu government in the state.
Mahabalipuram, Kanyakumari, Muttom and other lighthouses in Tamil Nadu will be developed by the state government.
“It is not just Tamil Nadu, all the coastal states and union territories where these projects have been taken up will promote tourism by providing recreation facilities like water sports, resorts, light and sound shows as tourist attractions,” a senior tourism official said.
Though initially it was proposed that the Union tourism ministry in association with the Union shipping ministry would promote lighthouse tourism in a big way when the initiative was launched in October 2015, the Centre has now decided to elicit the participation of the states.
There are 189 lighthouses dotting India's 7,517 km coastline, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. The Union shipping ministry has identified 78 lighthouses for development.
“Though we planned to have laser show as an added attraction, it may not materialise as arranging for laser show may cost Rs 5 lakh and above, and no entrepreneur is coming forward to take it up under Public Private Partnership (PPP),” the official pointed out.
As per the interim report on holistic development of islands submitted to the ministry of home affairs by the tourism ministry's sub-group of task force, eight lighthouses — Manappad, Kilakkarai, Kodikkarai, Portonovo, Pulicat, Mahabalipuram, Kanyakumari and Muttom — have potential to be developed into tourism hotspots.
