Recommendations
If the Governor’s House is rehabilitated it could well function as a miniature Danish culture & information centre. Such centres are found in many parts of the World, notably in Europe, but also in Beijing and Rio de Janeiro. As a French cultural centre is located in Pondicherry a Danish cultural centre would probably be most welcome in Tranquebar.
The Centre could make a number of rooms available for visiting scholars, and should have a well stocked library.
The Governor's House, before the destruction of Parade Ground vegetation
Inside the dilapidated Governor's House overgrown with strangler figs
25. TRADE AND SOUVENIRS
Findings
At present tourism brings almost no trade or income to Tranquebar. One small shop on the trader’s street outside the Town Gate, “The Danish Shop”, sells a number of postcards and a Tranquebar brochure, written by the owner M. A. Sultan a Tamil Muslim trader and historian with a good knowledge of both Arabic and English.
Recommendations
There is obviously a demand from tourists and excursionists for textiles and souvenirs. Embossed T-shirts with Tranquebar motives, beach-dresses, hats and towels. In Vailankanni a full street is lined with shops selling textiles, souvenirs and religious objects (often functioning as souvenirs as well), while the city of Thanjavur is fully stocked with local handicrafts. Also all larger temples and pilgrimage mosques in Tamil Nadu have sales outlets.
There is obviously a sales niche within the historical Old Tranquebar, and sites should be set off for the allocation of stalls, permanently (but in non-permanent structures) or only for weekends and during festivals.