HYDERABAD, INDIA, November 21, 2008: Many Indian states can look to Tamil Nadu for ways to encourage religious tourism.
In Tamil Nadu, the railways, the transport, tourism and endowments departments work in tandem to promote religious tourism; the tourism wings often come out with various packages to encourage religious tourism in the state; and private agencies provide transportation to various pilgrim centers. Pilgrims appreciate the assurance of a hassle-free journey, and many temple towns have benefited from the increased economic activity.
In contrast, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation only focuses on tour packages to temples such as Tirumala, Srisailam and Bhadrachalam; it does not operate buses to other temples. The private operators of the state are also not showing much interest in religious tourism. With the lack of proper tour packages, pilgrims are forced to depend on private vehicles. They are also not aware of accommodation and other facilities.
“The government should adopt a liberal tax structure so that the private operators would come forward to operate more buses,” said Mr Ramesh Ayyanger, managing director of Royal Travels.