The Tamil Nadu government has issued a G.O. constituting a Committee to come up with a revival plan for the tourism sector and suggest COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for tourists in the State. The Director of Tourism will be the chairperson of the 16-member panel.
The Director of Museums, Commissioner of the Department of Art and Culture, Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Director of Public Health, Commissioner of Archaeology, Regional Director of the Union Ministry of Tourism and former City Health Officer of the Corporation of Chennai, P. Kuganantham, are among the members.
Representatives from the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Tamil Nadu Travel Mart (TTM), South Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA), Tamil Nadu Tour Travel and Hospitality Association (TTTHA), FICCI, CII and South India MICE Association (SIMA) are also among the members.
The Director of Tourism has been asked to immediately convene a Committee meeting, following COVID-19 protocols in force, to come up with a revival plan for the tourism sector and also suggest COVID-19 SoPs for tourists in Tamil Nadu and submit the same to the government.
The government’s decision followed a proposal from the Commissioner of Tourism for constituting such a panel. The Commissioner, in a communication, said: “Domestic tourists may start arriving once tourist places are permitted to open. If tourist places are permitted to open, inter and intra-district movement of tourists will resume. This movement will help restart and sustain the tourism activities at tourist destinations. Tourists should be permitted only in strict compliance with COVID Protocol and SoPs. This will create confidence among tourists who would like to travel to Tamil Nadu.”
In another communication, the Director of Tourism observed: “Looking at the current scenario of COVID-19 crisis, it may take some time for the tourism industry to recover. The easing of travel restrictions and reopening of tourism activities will benefit all sections of people.”