Today Tamil Nadu has become the biggest tourist state of India. Be it temples, mountains, beaches or ancient heritage, Tamil Nadu has something special to offer every kind of tourist and that is why crores of people come here every year. In the year 2023, more than 28 crore 60 lakh Indian tourists visited Tamil Nadu and 11 lakh 74 thousand foreign tourists also visited the state.
In the first six months of the year 2024 itself, more than 18 crore 49 lakh Indian tourists and 6 lakh 45 thousand foreign tourists had come to visit Tamil Nadu and the state came first in the entire country in attracting foreign tourists. The arrival of such a large number of tourists is no less than a boon for the state’s economy and this is the reason why the Tamil Nadu government considers tourism as a major source of income and is continuously investing money in it.
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Why did TTDC’s earnings increase 5 times in 3 years?
The income of Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation i.e. TTDC was only Rs 49 crore 11 lakh in the year 2020-21, which increased to Rs 243 crore 31 lakh in 2023-24, which means a tremendous increase of five times in just three years. This earning comes directly from the Government Tourism Corporation which includes hotels, boat services, tour packages and facilities provided at tourist places. If we add to this the expenditure on personal hotels, vehicles, restaurants, malls and religious places, then the state’s overall tourism earnings are many times more than this.
What do government figures say?
Since Corona, there has been a very sharp increase in the number of tourists. Only 57 thousand foreign tourists came in 2021, which increased to 4 lakh 7 thousand in 2022 and increased to 11 lakh 74 thousand in 2023. According to the India Tourism Statistics 2023 report of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Tamil Nadu stood second after Uttar Pradesh in domestic tourism in the country, where more than 21 crore 85 lakh domestic tourists were registered. According to Tamil Nadu Tourism Policy 2023, Tamil Nadu’s share in the total domestic and foreign tourism of the country has been more than 21 percent.
In Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26, a total of Rs 524 crore 16 lakh was given to the Department of Tourism, Culture and Religious Places, out of which Rs 272 crore 46 lakh was kept separately for tourism only. In the same budget, an investment of Rs 300 crore was earmarked to create new and better facilities in places like Mamallapuram, Tiruvannamalai, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Tiruchendur, Palani and Nagor-Velankani, Rs 100 crore was set aside to bring forward lesser-known tourist destinations and Rs 70 crore was made to create a 52-acre Eco Park in Ooty.
Where does Tamil Nadu earn from?
Madurai (Meenakshi Temple): Madurai is the third largest city of Tamil Nadu and the Meenakshi Amman Temple here is one of the most visited temples in South India. Lakhs of devotees and tourists come here every year and spend crores of rupees on hotels, food and shopping.
Mamallapuram (UNESCO Heritage): The UNESCO World Heritage List includes the Shore Temple of Mamallapuram, the Brihadeshwar Temple of Thanjavur and the Gangaikondacholapuram Temple, which attract history lovers and devotees from across the country and abroad. Mamallapuram Dance Festival takes place here every year in December-January, which is very popular among foreign tourists.
Ooty and Kodaikanal: Ooty is the most tourist visited hill region of Tamil Nadu. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway i.e. Toy Train here is included in the UNESCO World Heritage and Kodaikanal and Yercaud also attract millions of tourists throughout the year.
Rameshwaram: Rameshwaram is one of the Char Dhams along with Dwarka, Puri and Badrinath. The number of devotees coming here remains constant throughout the year due to which the livelihood of the local people is directly linked.
Kanyakumari: The meeting point of the three seas, Vivekananda Rock and now the new Glass Bridge all together attract millions of tourists. Recently, more boat services have been started from Chinna Muttam Port to Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari to better handle the increasing crowd.
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How is Tamil Nadu earning from tourists?
The government’s income from tourism does not come from tickets alone, the whole process works. GST and state tax are levied on hotels and restaurants which go directly to the government treasury. TTDC earns directly from its hotels, resorts and boat services. The Hindu Religious Endowments Board earns income from entry fees and donations at temples and old heritage sites. Money also comes from parking, luggage storage and guide services at big tourist places and foreign exchange is also earned from the expenditure of foreign tourists.
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