Tamil Nadu Unlimited | More direct flights are needed from places such as Maldives, Seychelles: Prithvi Mohandass
The Hindu
MD of MIOT Int'l calls for more direct int'l flights to TN; GRT Hotels CEO says tourism will be major contributor to 1T$ economy; Sundar Singaram suggests tapping potential of smaller towns; Prithvi Mohandass & others discuss TN Tourism Policy.
Prithvi Mohandass, 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. Mohandass, who was speaking during a panel discussion on ‘Tourism Industry: The Growth Engine of Tamil Nadu’ as part of the Tamil 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.”
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.