Tourism helps study different cultures: Ramachandra Gowda

Three-day meet on environment, tourism and development begins

Deputy chairman of State Planning Commission Ramachandra Gowda on Wednesday said that tourism helps explore tradition and culture of different places.

He was speaking after inaugurating a three-day eleventh international conference on ‘Environment, tourism and development,’ at Senate Hall in Manasagangotri here.

The conference has been organised jointly by the University of Mysore, department of studies in geography in association with Deccan Geographical Society of India, (DGSI) Pune.

Gowda said that everybody irrespective of profession should develop the habit of touring places.

To enable the people, the tourism policy should be environmentally suitable and sustainable, he added.

Saying that the tourism industry is growing by leaps and bounds, he said it’s the fourth largest growing industry in the global map. It’s also the industry with more employment opportunities.

About 20 million foreigners are working in the Indian tourism sector alone, said Gowda quoting a survey.

The country is also recording good revenue with the turnout of foreign tourists. Quoting a survey again, he said in the previous years the country had recorded a revenue of huge turnover. He also mentioned about abundant tourist attractions in the State including that of Mysore Dasara, Belur and Halebeed, and  Hampi drawing tourists in hordes.

Hanuman Singh Yadav from Barkatullah University, Hyderabad was conferred with ‘Bhoogol Bhushan’ award by Deccan Geographical Society of India. Eminent teachers in geography were also conferred awards for their contribution in development of the realm.

They were- A K Wadia from Bangalore University, Sadhana Kothari from M S Sukhodia University, Udaipur, B Hemamalini from Andhra Pradesh University and S N Karlekar from S P College in Pune.  Vice-chancellor of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) K S Rangappa released two issues of ‘Deccan Geographer,’ a journal.

Vice-chancellor of University of Mysore, Prof V G Talawar, secretary general, DGSI, Pune, B C Vaidya, vice-president of the conference A A Mulimani, convener Asima Nusrath also the chairperson of the PG Department of Studies in Geography, organising secretary H Nagaraj and others were present.