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The number of foreign tourists visiting Trichy in Tamil Nadu has increased close to three-fold in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to data gathered by the district tourism office. The majority of the tourists were from Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka, who take up temple tourism circuit in Trichy and other delta districts.
The district tourism office collects information on foreign tourists at 32 locations, including the Trichy international airport, across the district. As per the data, 64,041 individual foreign tourists visited these destinations between January and June 2023 compared to 23,904 during the same period last year, a 168% increase.
Usually, January to March, November and December months are considered peak seasons of foreign tourists in the district. In January and February this year, around 25,000 international tourists visited Trichy. Many of them were interested in the Pongal festival and its allied activities.
According to provisional data from the Bureau of Immigration, the number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals during January to April 2023 has reached 79 per cent of the FTAs recorded during the same period in 2019. The Ministry of Tourism is striving to position India as a top tourism destination in key markets, said Union Minister of Tourism, G.Kishan Reddy.
District tourism officer T Jegatheeswari, however, pointed out that the number of visitors from Europe and the Americas is low. “Economic factors could be the reason. Such factors remain a hindrance in achieving the numbers before the pandemic.”Around 80% of the foreign tourists who visited Trichy were from three Asian countries — Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka— where there is a significant number of the Indian diaspora. Before the pandemic, the share of tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the USA was significant.
S A Mubashir, vice-president of the Trichy Tourism Federation, said, “We have to conduct roadshows in others countries to promote the destinations here. The presence of an international airport and improved facilities for accommodation should be highlighted.”
Stakeholders also suggested to link the circuit of temples in Trichy with places of archaeological importance here and neighbouring districts to attract tourists from Europe and the Americas.
Officials said they will promote the prominent destinations in Trichy among tourists arriving at Trichy airport.
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