Prithvi Mohandas, Managing Director (MD), MIOT International, on Tuesday underlined the need for more direct international flights to Tamil Nadu from destinations such as Maldives and Seychelles. He said cities such as Mumbai and Delhi benefitted from such direct flights.
Dr. Mohandas, who was speaking during a panel discussion on ‘Tourism Industry: The Growth Engine of Tamil Nadu’ as part of the Tamil Nadu Unlimited summit, organised by The Hindu in association with Guidance Tamil Nadu in Chennai, said the government should take steps to make airport arrivals more comfortable for patients and attenders. “Big ticket customers from West Asia do not come here. We need to learn from countries such as South Korea to make their experiences painless,” he said.
Vikram Cotah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GRT Hotels, said efforts taken to build the State’s brand would help the industry over the next five years. “Tourism will be a major contributor to the one trillion dollar economy that the government is aiming for,” he said.
The Tourism Policy document talks about the industry creating 25 lakh jobs, for this, tourism and hospitality have to be put in the high school curriculum. Talent acquisition for hospitality is a big challenge. Openings are there, but talent are not willing. We need to bring youngsters from rural areas, who have the knack for the industry, he added.
The moderator, Zubeda Hamid, Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu, who set the tone for the hour-long discussion, outlined the State’s recently released Tourism Policy.
Sundar Singaram, Director of Operations, South India Hotels and Restaurants, called for tapping into the potential of smaller towns. “For example, Yanaimalai in Madurai, the Jain heritage site can be packaged and presented in a better manner. Only recently, did Keezhadi get a museum. How can visiting tourists visualise something that happened several centuries ago otherwise,” he said.
On a question about the potential of tier II cities in the sector, Dr. Prithvi said non-healthcare facilities were lacking in such cities, and added that: “Great hospitals are being constructed in places like Tiruchi, Madurai, and Nagercoil.”
Mr. Singaram said though costs were relatively less than Chennai in tier II towns, there was no synergy between the hospital and hospitality industry. “Both segments need to join together,” he added.
Published - December 12, 2023 07:44 pm IST
