State tourism coprn woos corporates for Hop-on Hop-off tour

V Ayyappan | TNN

May 11, 2009

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation is trying out a new strategy to market the recentlylaunched Chennai-Mamallapuram Hop-on Hop-off tour. Not content with depending on tourists alone, the department has decided to tie-up with corporate companies to ensure that the tour gets a regular flow of travellers.
“We’ve already struck a deal with Indian Oil Corporation so that their staff and retailers in Chennai and Kancheepuram area can enjoy the Hop-on Hopoff tours. As many as 2,000 people are expected to take the tour by June,” said a tourism department official.
“Employees and their family members can hop on to the tour on any day. Tamil Nadu tourism development corporation is offering companies a discount of 20% on fare and also a free lunch at Mamallapuram. More than 200 people have already travelled under the scheme in the last two days. The numbers are expected to go up during weekends,” the official added.
The TTDC is in talks with other companies as well. “We are talking to Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) also. This new strategy will help in popularising the tours,” an official said.
The strategy is also expected to work out well as this is the time when the majority of the employees go on short vacations. The companies, on their part, can offer the tour as a performance incentive to employees and retailers.
Around 3,000 people have used the Hop-on Hop-off tour since its launch on February 20. The destinations covered under by the Hop-on Hop-Off tour are Marundeeswarar Temple at Thiruvanmiyur, VGP, MGM Dizzy World, Dakshin Chitra, Crocodile Bank, Dolphin City for Sea Lion show, Muttukadu Boat House and tourist spots in Mamallapuram. Tourists have to pay Rs 250 per head to use the tour. Air-conditioned buses depart from Chennai at 9am, 9.30am, 10am and 11am every day.