The Tamil Nadu government will set up a high-level committee of experts to work out recovery plans for the tourism sector, which is facing the doldrums following the first and second waves of the COVID pandemic, a statement said Friday.

The statement from the Office of the State Minister of Tourism said that Minister M. Mathiventhan, who chaired the Headquarters of the Ministry of Tourism on Thursday, decided that the high-level committee will identify ways that will generate income, new jobs create and earn money for the state.

Measures are also being put in place to ensure the safety of those traveling to the state by introducing standard COVID-19 protocols.

Speaking to IANS, K Raghavan, who has been in the field for 30 years, said: “Tourism in Tamil Nadu has been doing extremely well following the meticulous plans of successive governments to promote the sector and it has brought good income to the treasury, but the pandemic has Dealt a heavy blow to the industry.

“It is good that the minister called such a meeting to set up a committee to find ways to revitalize the sector, which is indeed a step in the right direction. Gujarat and Karnataka have already classified the sector as industry and we expect something similar from the TN government. “

The tourism sector expects a year-long moratorium on property tax payments as Gujarat has already relaxed hotels, restaurants, water parks and resorts in this regard. It has also exempted fixed electricity charges for the sector and only has to pay actual electricity bills.

KR Vinoth Chandran, a tourism officer in Dindugal, said, “Our state’s tourism sector has generated tremendous revenue and the minister must be proactive for the state sector, not going to thrive again.”

In addition to hotels and restaurants, the pandemic also affected tourist taxis, travel agencies, truck drivers, tour guides and even auto rickshaw drivers.

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