TOURISM POLICY AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN TAMIL NADU – A MICRO LEVEL STUDY

Tourism has increasingly become an important component of regional development because it can generate employment, stimulate local entrepreneurship, diversify rural livelihoods and create demand for transport, accommodation, food services, handicrafts and other local activities. The developmental effects of tourism, however, depend heavily on the quality of destination infrastructure, accessibility, institutional coordination and the sustainability of resource use. This study examines tourism infrastructure and policy issues in selected destinations in the Western Ghats region of Ambasamudram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. The study focuses on Manimuthar, Manjolai, Papanasam and Karaiyar and evaluates infrastructure through a Tourism Infrastructure Index (TII) based on the presence or absence of selected facilities and services. Secondary information and local reports form the principal empirical basis. The original assessment gives Papanasam the highest TII score (0.68), followed by Manimuthar (0.64), Karaiyar (0.44) and Manjolai (0.36). The findings indicate that the region possesses substantial natural, cultural and recreational assets but that infrastructure deficits, limited visitor services, weak destination-level information systems and environmental constraints restrict its tourism potential. The study argues that infrastructure expansion should not be equated with indiscriminate construction. Instead, destination planning should integrate accessibility, sanitation, accommodation, safety, digital information, carrying-capacity considerations, biodiversity conservation and meaningful community participation. The discussion is situated within destination competitiveness, sustainable tourism, community participation and tourism-area life-cycle perspectives, and is linked to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Policy 2023 and national strategies for sustainable, rural and ecotourism.