Tourists coming to Puducherry need not wander around looking for information on the places to visit. They can just alight at the bus stand and get into the information centre.
This one-stop information centre will provide details on the tourist destinations, hotels, sightseeing and everything about the coastal town. Health and Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao inaugurated the Tourist Information Centre renovated by the Public Works Department.
It will act as an information centre and help desk for tourists and would provide various tourism related information and services under the banner of the Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).
The information centre will provide information on full-day, half-day tours, sight-seeing tours, major tourist destinations, special heritage tours in the Tamil and French quarters, hotels and train tickets. “We would also provide bookings for the Chunnambar boat house and the Oussudu boat house. Brochures and travel guides would be distributed free of cost and trained volunteers at the centre would guide the visitors,” R. Munisamy, Director of Tourism, said.
According to statistics, as many as 12.97 lakh domestic and 1.06 lakh international tourists visited Puducherry during 2015. In order to increase the tourist arrival figures, the Government has chalked out various plans and infrastructure schemes under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, he said.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs.85.28 crore under the scheme for the UT and released Rs.17 crore in the first instalment. Revitalisation of Bharathi Park, including lighting and illumination of heritage area and monuments, Triangular Park, parks at beach promenade, Gandhi Thidal, streetscapes in the heritage area of French quarter, Vysial Street at Tamil quarter and restoration of façade of heritage buildings would be taken up under the scheme.
