Inbound

Karnataka to tap tourism potential

ETW Staff - Mumbai

Karnataka may be uniquely blessed in natural splendour. It already has the country's highest waterfall, the tallest free-standing statue in the world, a site on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Despite its rich tourism potential, it seems to have come to this realisation rather late. The state recently organised its first tourism expo in a belated attempt to cash in on the booming national tourism sector. "Karnataka has drawn up major plans for expansion of the tourism sector," said L Shanthakumari, prinicipal secretary (Information, Tourism and Youth Services), government of Karnataka, at a recent two-day meet which brainstormed on how to position the state better for tourism. "Among the new projects planned is a luxury train for the state on the lines of Palace on Wheels in Rajasthan and Deccan Odyssey in Maharashtra,” she added.

Minister for tourism and textiles, B S Sriramulu, stressed that, "The state has identified 116 tourism spots which are to be developed." Kumaraswamy pointed to the increased outlay that this year's state budget has given to tourism, a whopping Rs 52 crore, the highest ever for the state. Karnataka has drawn up a multi-pronged plan to improve its visibility outside the state. This includes building a new brand identity - 'One State. Many Worlds', promotions in various media, upgrading and building new airports, participating in global tourism events, increasing private partnerships in the sector and improving connectivity.