# Tamil Nadu to develop tourism infrastructure to draw foreign visitors 2026-08-13T15:47:30+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Tamil Nadu government will develop tourism infrastructure across the State to turn specific locations into international destinations, Minister for Tourism S. Rajesh Kumar said in Coimbatore on Thursday. Inaugurating the SKAL India National Congress, he said Mamallapuram will be developed jointly with the Central government at Rs 200 crore this year. River tourism will be taken up on three rivers, fully by the government. The State has allocated funds for spiritual tourism for senior citizens, religious places, and forest tourism, with private sector involvement through public-private partnerships. Minister for Backward Classes V. Sampathkumar said Coimbatore, though lacking major tourist spots, is the second district in the State by tourist footfall, attracting nearly 1.5 crore annual visitors. Venkatesan Dhattareyan, Southern Regional Director of the Union Tourism Ministry, said Tamil Nadu ranks second in domestic tourists and seventh in foreign visitors, receiving 8.5% and 6.5% of the national totals respectively. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Coimbatore, infrastructure, Mamallapuram, river tourism, SKAL India, Tamil Nadu tourism Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-to-develop-tourism-infrastructure-to-draw-foreign-visitors/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tamil-nadu-to-develop-tourism-infrastructure-to-draw-foreign-visitors/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.