Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister Dr M Mathivethan on Saturday announced plans to start water sports activities at Marina Beach, a coastal attraction in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), in association with Royal Madras Yacht Club, will introduce various water sports along with boating.
Mathivethan moved the proposal during a meeting of the state assembly, where he sought a grant from the DMK government for his department. Along with the proposal for water sports activities, the Minister also pointed to the plan to open a floating restaurant at TTDC’s Muttukadu Boat House, located 35 km from the city on the East Coast Road.
The restaurant and water sports activities aim to increase the number of people visiting Marina Beach and the surrounding areas. Other efforts to boost tourism industry include introduction of other adventure sports like bungee slingshot, rock climbing, zip-lining and eco-camping sites spread across Tiruvannamalai district and Vellore.
Mudhaliarkuppam Boat House will also be developed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. The development project, which will also include a cafeteria and beach activities, will be undertaken to cater to tourists who show interest in visiting the island at Odiyur Lake.
A similar development project was proposed about ten years ago which involved setting up a berthing facility for boats with services such as fuel, water, sewage pump-out and electricity for boats.
The project mirrors the one done for Kochi International Marina, which started functioning in 2010. During the previous proposal, a marina was to be constructed for 234 boats, including a base for the Tamil Nadu Coastal Police. However, the project could not reach the initiation stage.
The tourism situation had worsened during the pandemic. However, the Tamil Nadu state government is planning to boost the industry with various leisure services provided to the tourists.
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