JOIN USTourism dept to do a Goa on State's coastline
The Tourism department has identified a number of spots along the 320-km coastline of the State for the development of beach tourism.
Addressing the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), on Tuesday, Minister for Tourism R V Deshpande said, as many as 41 spots along the Karwar-Mangalore coastline have been identified for development and work on these spots will begin soon. A number of islands off the coast have also been identified for the same,” Deshpande said.
Highlighting the difficulty of the task due to Coastal Regulation Zone regulations, he, however, promised that the spots have been identified in conformation with all regulations of the Centre. Reflecting on the immense role played by the tourism industry in states like Goa and Kerala, Deshpande hoped that the plan will do the same for Karnataka. He also talked about the possibility of developing backwaters in the State on a par with those in Kerala.
Important sites
The minister also spoke about a plan that concentrates on developing a few major tourist spots first, that will be followed by others.
“The State has nearly 300 tourist spots. However, we have to highlight six to seven important tourist sites like Bijapur, Mysore, Hampi, Nandi and work on their development first,” Deshpande said.
In order to develop air connectivity to these tourist spots, Deshpande spoke about the need to build airstrips in places where airports cannot be constructed and to come up with schemes to support such spots.
Deshpande highlighted the need for the private sector to be the main driving force behind the effort to develop the industry.
Even guides and drivers of tourist taxis should play a big role in developing tourism through their attitude and soft skills.
The need for a training course in soft skills for such stakeholders of the industry and widening the network of such persons in the industry was also expressed by the minister.