The Tamil Nadu Department of Tourism has identified specific tourist products it will develop in 2003-04, states its policy note for the year. According to the policy note, to be presented in the legislative assembly, one of the state’s primary objectives will be to increase the inflow of tourists visiting the region. The current budget provision for the tourism sector is at an all-time high of Rs. 26.79 crore, which, the department avers, could be stepped up, depending on requirements for thrust in the sector.

In 2002, the number of domestic arrivals in the state was 246.61 lakh, while foreign tourists accounted for 8.05 lakh. This year the government plans to increase the inflow of tourists to 10-12 percent per annum, while focussing on increasing room nights for domestic tourists from 7-9 days to 10-12 days and foreign tourists from 4-7 days to 6-8 days. In fulfiling these objectives, the state tourism board has announced its intent on developing niche products such as health tourism, plantation tourism, film industry related tourism, as well as develop education centres in the region. With a view of extending tourists’ period of stay in the state, the tourism department is promoting Indian medicine in the state. It plans on opening rejuvenation centres in destinations like Kolli Hills, Courtallam and Mamallapuram.

According to the note, the government also proposes to promote visits to tea and coffee estates, through plantation tourism, as well as encourage film shootings and video recordings in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government is also spending unprecedented amounts on publicity this year. Allocation for marketing and publicity was increased to Rs. 5.4 crore during 2002-2003 from 4.2 crore in 2001-2002. For the current year, this budget has been boosted to approximately twice that of the previous year, to a whopping Rs. 11.43 crore. For the first time the government has approved the appointment of a marketing agency cum media consultant to promote Tamil Nadu as a tourism destination.

Advertisements in the print media, will extend to magazines published abroad, as well as in-flight magazines. Promotions through electronic media include a detailed CD-ROM of the state’s tourism initiatives, a website on the same, advertisements on television, and a touch-screen kiosk in the tourism complex in Chennai. In an endeavour to market Tamil Nadu in the international marketplace, the department is reportedly using thirteen of the Government of India tourist offices abroad as well as printing tourism pamphlets in foreign languages to facilitate the inbound tourist. The tourism authorities of Tamil Nadu will also be attending five international tourism fairs this year, in order to boost the inflow of foreign tourists to the region.