Travellers visiting Puducherry, a former French outpost, for its scenic beaches and heritage architecture can soon hire fully-equipped camper vans with queen-size convertible beds, washroom, smart television, speaker systems, air-condition, and a kitchenette among others.

Puducherry is the latest to join the bandwagon of caravan tourism, which is considered a luxury segment. The caravan culture has grown in popularity in recent years in India, especially in the southern States of Karnataka and Kerala.

In a move aimed at strengthening its tourism appeal, the Puducherry Transport Department has opened its doors and brought camper vans and caravans under a formal tax structure. This key initiative facilitates the issuance of permits not only for Puducherry-registered vehicles, but also for vehicles from other States, through a convenient tax system for three, seven and 30-day durations.

According to Transport Commissioner A.S. Sivakumar, “The new tax policy notified by the Government covers vehicles registered as camper vans or caravans, classified under Public Service Vehicle, Contract Carriage, or Transport categories, regardless of their seating capacity.”