In a boost for UNESCO-tagged monuments in Mamallapuram, the state govt has announced an investment of ₹100 crore to develop infrastructure to promote tourism in the region. The project is part of a broader strategy to strengthen tourism-led economic growth under the state’s tourism policy 2023.Inaugurating the Tamil Nadu Global Tourism Summit 2026 at Mamallapuram, chief minister M K Stalin on Monday announced the creation of a Special Area Development Authority for the heritage town, as well as improved basic amenities and modern tourism infrastructure.
Highlighting the scale of investments at the summit, he said 127 MoUs to the tune of ₹22,794 crore had been signed across various tourism segments. It will generate about 66,000 jobs. “During the past five years, the state has invested ₹612 crore for developing tourism infrastructure,” he said. This resulted in about 128.9 crore domestic and 45 lakh foreign tourists visiting the state in the past five years, he added.He also announced that Tamil Nadu would host its first-ever ‘Tamil Biennale’ next Jan to position the State as a global hub for art and cultural tourism. “In the first phase, four special tourism destinations have been identified in the districts of Kanniyakumari, Kallakurichi, Erode, and Tuticorin, and proposals have been invited to attract investments.” In the second phase, 31 locations across Tamil Nadu will be categorised into urban tourism, special experience tourism, and large tourism hubs. Facilities such as accommodation, theme parks, camping sites, and nature-based experiential stays will be developed. This will generate employment opportunities for several lakhs of people across Tamil Nadu,” he said.Tamil Nadu is lining up a fresh wave of tourism and sports infrastructure projects, ranging from caravan parks and a large heritage-themed destination near Chennai to a multi-sports stadium aimed at nurturing Olympics-level talent.The State is planning caravan parks at destinations such as Tharangambadi, Ooty, and Kodaikanal. Each park will be designed to accommodate 10 to 15 caravans. Over the next five years, as many as 75 caravan parks are proposed across Tamil Nadu, said R Subramanian, director of Campervan, an IIT Madras incubated company. Meanwhile, Poonjeri is set to offer a wide array of heritage and leisure attractions. The Mata Amritanandamayi Mandir Trust plans to develop a heritage theme park on 12 lakh sqft, featuring a museum, water park, exhibition spaces and other facilities. Mahesh Gopalakrishnan, director (projects) of the Trust, said ₹1,500 crore would be invested in the first phase, with an equal amount earmarked for the second phase.On the sports front, a ₹6,200-crore multi-sports stadium and high-performance facility is proposed around Chennai. Sruti Simon, CFO of AVID Sports, said an MoU has been signed with the State govt to develop world-class facilities aimed at producing more Olympic athletes from Tamil Nadu and India.
