Puducherry, one of the most popular destinations in South India is expecting an increase of 20 per cent in tourist arrivals, this year. A series of tourism infrastructure development projects that are currently underway is expected to provide an impetus to the tourism sector in the region.
Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) that has taken various tourism intitives like water sports activities, backwater boating, luxury bus tours and music and cultural festivals, expects a considerable jump in tourist arrivals this year.
“Puducherry recorded close to 5.6 lakh domestic tourist arrivals last year. This year we expect arrivals to grow by 20 per cent over last year,” said Mathew Samuel, managing director, PTDC. The Ministry of Tourism ( MoT ) under the Central Financial Assistance scheme has also allocated over Rs 24 crore for development of 13 tourism projects in Puducherry.
Puducherry popularly referred to as Pondicherry consists of 4 coastal regions; Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. While Puducherry and Karaikal are situated on the east coast in Tamil Nadu, Yanam is located in Andhra Pradesh and Mahe on the west coast in Kerala. Some of the major attractions here are Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville, Boat rides at Chunnambar boat house and Osutari Lake, Puducherry Museum and others.
