The Tamil Nadu government plans to develop coastal tourism circuits in Nagapattinam, Rameswaram, and Kanniyakumari.
T.N. Venkatesh, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board, said the State government was keen to tap the tourism potential of these coastal towns.
“The Nagapattinam Cruise Terminal is already functional. Now, we are examining the viability of linking Poompuhar, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, and Kodaiyakarai with a ferry service. The idea is that tourists who visit any of these places could take a ferry to travel through this belt. It will give a big boost to tourism,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu Maritime Board will appoint a consultant in the next 4-5 months, and the firm will prepare a detailed project report. The report will be submitted to the State government by mid-2026. Subsequently, the project report will be sent to the Centre to seek funds under the Sagarmala 2.0 scheme to build jetties in these locations.
Mr. Venkatesh said several initiatives had been taken by the State government and the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board for the holistic development of the sector. “We would also like to leverage the tourism potential of various coastal locations in coordination with the Tourism Department, and we will also have major coastal aquaculture hubs in Tamil Nadu in the years to come,” he added.
The government is also taking steps to link Rameswaram and Thalaimannar with a ferry service, which would be the shortest sea route between India and Sri Lanka. Efforts are on to operate ferry services around Rameswaram island to promote coastal tourism.
Published – October 30, 2025 06:59 pm IST
