Tourism in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of India located on south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. The state is straddled by Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats to the west and north and the waters of Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea on the other two sides. It is the home of the Tamil people, who speak Tamil language, one of the oldest surviving languages. The capital and largest city is Chennai which is known as the "Gateway to South India". As of 2021^[update], the state is the most visited and has received the most number of tourists amongst all states of India.

Archaeological evidence points to Tamil Nadu being inhabited for more than 400 millennia and has more than 5,500 years of continuous cultural history. The Tamilakam region has been ruled over by many kingdoms, major of which are the Sangam era (300 BC–300 CE) rulers of the Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas, the Pallava dynasty (3rd–9th century CE), and the later Vijayanagara Empire (14th–17th century CE) followed by European colonization from the 17th century till the Indian Independence in 1947. Hence, culture, cuisine and architecture have seen multiple influences over the years and have developed diversely. With its diverse culture and architecture, long coastline with beaches, dense forests and mountains of Western and Eastern ghats, Tamil Nadu has a robust tourism industry which contributes significantly to the GDP of the state.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1971 and is the nodal agency responsible for the promotion of tourism and development of tourist related infrastructure in the state. The tag line "Enchating Tamil Nadu" is used in the tourism promotions by Government of Tamil Nadu.