Tourism department promotes biking to destinations in state

In an effort to popularise biking to destinations, the state Tourism department, in coordination with bikers’ associations, is organising a bike rally to Nandi Hills on Sunday.

Naveen Raj Singh, Secretary, Tourism Department, told DH that this was the first time the department was participating in a motorcycle day event. “We are doing this to encourage people to use their motorcycles,” he said.

The department is also planning to offer discounts to tourists who ride their bikes to various destinations instead of cars or other modes of transport. Talks are on to offer discounts to tourists who ride their bikes to the Jungle Lodges and Resorts properties and to homestays registered with the department, he added.

Another official of the department said that there are many places around Bengaluru which can be reached by bikes. Bikes can even be rented like cars. “The advantage of bikes is that people go to unexplored places enroute in the guise of taking breaks. Even places which are not on the department map get promoted when they are frequented by bikers on their way to their final destinations.

“When people take their car or go by bus or train, their destination is fixed. But when they go by bikes, they stop over at many places, experience more and have the urge to travel more. This is what the department is now trying to tap. We want to give people an excuse to travel and we have found that Bengalureans love their bikes more than their cars. So, we are promoting biking tourism now,” the official explained. 

Sunday Biking
World Motorcycle Day is held globally on June 21, but Bengaluru will observe it on June 18. Over 1,000 bikes from 35 registered bikers’ clubs from Bengaluru will participate in the rally to be organised by the Tourism department, Association of Biking Community (ABC), Ideas Design Executed (ADE) and 6KIOMS (6000 Miles to Isle of Man).

The theme of this year’s bike rally is #excuseToRide. The event is being held for the first time in the state. The rally will be flagged off at 5.30 am from Kanteerava Stadium and will terminate at Eco Tourism Resort at the foot of Nandi Hills. The participants have registered with the organisers before hand.