Two villages in the State – Vettaikaranpudur in Coimbatore district and Hullada in the Nilgiris – received bronze medals for the best tourist villages from the Centre, Tourism Minister K. Ramachandran said here on Wednesday.
Addressing the hoteliers, tour operators, guides, and other stakeholders from the tourism industry at the State Tourism Awards ceremony, he said the villages were chosen from among 700-odd entries sent from across the country.
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, he said, had ensured that the policy had been released for the tourism sector. This would help the sector get permissions and loans easily. Mr. Ramachandran said the number of tourists visiting the State had gone up considerably when compared to 2021.
He along with Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekarbabu and Minister for Minority Welfare Gingee K.S. Masthan gave away 54 awards under 17 categories. Secretary of Tourism K. Manivasan and Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Sandeep Nanduri were present.
The awards for Cleanest Tourist Destinations was presented to the Sri Ranganathar temple, Srirangam; Kurusadai Island, Ramanathapuram; and Blue Flag Beach, Kovalam. Best Inbound Tour Operator awards went to Travel XS Pvt. Ltd. (gold); Cholan Tours (silver); and Cathrine Travels and Tours (Rising Star).
Best Classified Hotel awards went to ITC Grand Chola (five-star), Courtyard by Marriot, Madurai (four-star), and Gem Park, Ooty (three-star). Among the best resorts were Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mamallapuram; Kaldan Samudhra Palace, Mamallapuram; and Annai Resorts and Spa, Kanniyakumari.
