Rural tourist spots in the district must be promoted and an organised system must be in place at these spots to ensure that the local service providers earned good income, said B. George, Principal (in charge) of Madurai Kamaraj University College, here on Sunday.
Speaking at a webinar organised by the State Tourism department on the occasion of World Tourism Day, he said the government must establish separate centres at rural tourist spots to sell products from that area.
It must be ensured that the originality of the food, culture and activities of the rural tourist spots were retained, said A. Sivagurunathan, president of Tour Guides Association, Madurai.
B. Raveendran, president of Travel Club, Madurai, said more tourist spots in the district must be promoted so that tourists extended their stay in the city. “Despite relaxation of lockdown norms, there are hardly any tourists in the city. Hence, the government must take steps to aid the revival of the hospitality and its allied sectors,” he added.
R. Aruna, Assistant Professor, Thiagarajar College, spoke on the importance of maintaining cleanliness to make the city tourist-friendly. “Residents must extend cooperation to the civic body and segregate the waste while disposing it,” she said.
District Tourism Officer S.M. Sri Balamurugan participated in the webinar.
