The Department of Tourism has issued guidelines for registration of caravan tour operators and caravan park operators, adventure tourism operators and camping operators (including eco-tourism, plantation tourism and farm tourism).
The guidelines for registration and classification of bed and breakfast establishments and homestay establishments were also released by Tourism Minister M. Mathiventhan at an event organised by the department to mark World Tourism Day.
Details of definitions, documents required and terms and conditions are available on the department’s website. These guidelines pertain to the whole of Tamil Nadu. Registration will be compulsory. The department will appoint a panel of agencies to inspect the establishments that have applied for registration. After inspection, the agencies will submit their reports to the Director of Tourism.
During the event, resorts, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, tour guides, social media influencers and those associated with the tourism industry were given awards by the Minister. Around 52 awards were given away in 17 categories.
“This is the first time we are giving away such awards to stakeholders in the tourism industry. We received over 450 applications for the awards,” said Sandeep Nanduri, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC).
Mr. Mathiventhan highlighted the initiatives taken by the department in the last one year. He said many TTDC hotels across the State had been renovated. “We are also working on introducing more eco-camping sites where people can explore new places and stay outside of hotels,” he added.
Tourism Secretary B. Chandra Mohan said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism suffered a lot; but, the industry was bouncing back. He added, “The Tamil Nadu tourism policy is in advanced stages, and will be released soon.”
Like last year, the Tourism Department and Global Media Box will organize the WOW Tamil Nadu competition for the best tourism- related photos and videos. Participants can upload the photos and videos on wowtamilnadu.com. The last date for submission is December 25, 2022.
