The Tamil Nadu Travel Mart 2025 being held in Chennai. Minister R. Rajendran inaugurated it on Friday.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Tourism Minister R. Rajendran on Friday said that the Tamil Nadu government was all set to bring in regulations for investments in the tourism industry soon, following the successful launch of the Tamil Nadu State Tourism Policy 2023. 

Inaugurating the three-day Tamil Nadu Travel Mart (TNTM) 2025 organised by Tamil Nadu Tourism in association with Travel and Tourism Fair at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam, Mr. Rajendran said that the Tourism Department earned a profit of over ₹34 crore in the last financial year.

The State, having earned a reputation for MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), upheld the motto of providing safe and enjoyable destinations for tourists, the Minister added. 

K. Manivasan, Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department, hailed the TNTM’s launch after a gap of a several years since the COVID-19 pandemic, and said that the Tourism Department was planning to increase its contribution to the GDP to 15% by 2030.

Mr. Manivasan further said that despite having a diverse culture and heritage sites, the country did not figure in the top five tourist destinations of the world. “However it has the potential to become a top tourist destination…,” he added. 

D. Venkatesan, Regional Director (South), Union Ministry of Tourism, said the State drew tourists for pilgrimage trips and several products that had a Geographical indication (GI) tag – a unique feature that has been promoted well by the State’s Tourism Department.

The Union Ministry of Tourism was focused on providing training and capacity building, he added.

Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, Commissioner of Tourism Department, also spoke.