Scrap new entry fee at Ariyaman beach, say locals
Residents of Ariyaman village have petitioned the District Collector to remove a newly implemented entry fee for tourists at Ariyaman beach. Locals argue that the fee is discouraging visitors, which is negatively impacting the livelihoods of small business owners in the area.
Why it matters
This reflects the common conflict between local administrative revenue generation and the economic sustainability of small-scale tourism-dependent communities.
Residents of Ariyaman village submitted a petition at the Collector’s public grievance meeting here on Monday demanding the cancellation of the newly levied entry fee for tourists at the Ariyaman beach.
Ariyaman beach is located under the Sathaakonvalasai panchayat in the Mandapam panchayat union of Ramanathapuram district.
Starting from July 10, the panchayat union has auctioned the rights to collect new entry fees for visitors to this beach.
Consequently, the contractor has been collecting an entry fee of ₹10 per person, along with parking fees of ₹10 for two-wheelers, ₹20 for four-wheelers, ₹50 for vans, buses, and mini-buses.
Fees are also being collected for using the bathrooms and restrooms at ₹10 each, alongside ₹2,000 per day for wedding photography, ₹5,000 for short-film shoots, and ₹10,000 for feature film shoots.
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