The Hindu Business Line : Connectivity is Karnataka Govt's top priority: Krishna

THE proposed international airport, the foundation stone for which was laid today, has set the ball rolling for implementing several tourism initiatives taken up by the Government.

Inaugurating the proceedings of Connect, a platform for private-public partnership for tourism promotion and developing infrastructure facilities for the sector, the Chief Minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, said that with tourism gaining the attention of the Government in the last three years, connectivity has become an important area for concentration to bring the State's destinations, replete with diverse with heritage and contemporary tourists attractions, closer to the visitors.

"Connectivity is the most important concern," said Mr Krishna, adding that the Government would be taking up on priority basis development of airstrips at smaller cities of tourism importance like Gulbarga.

The Government will take up development of airstrips wherever it was possible to provide air link.

Mr Krishna said that with these developments, the demand for hotel rooms would go up which in turn would set a chain of activities to give a boost to tourism.

The proceedings of the convention underlined the need for a clear focus to leverage on the biggest advantage of getting an international airport.

Besides, the launch of a no-frills airline service by Deccan Aviation to connect smaller cities and towns not only with Karnataka but the State with other smaller cities Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, has given an additional importance to develop or reactivate smaller airstrips in the State, said speakers at the convention.

It was also stressed that an integrated destination development strategy along with circuit development plan should be adopted instead of concentrating only on mega-projects.

Ms Rathi Vinay Jha, Secretary, Union Tourism Department said the 10th Five-Year Plan has envisaged a strategy of an integrated destination development, under which an entire gamut of facilities including transport linkages, local infrastructural facilities have to be developed form the funds allocated.

Hampi, the UN heritage centre, had been given the distinction of being the first such programme given importance by the Plan, she said.

Referring to a study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Ms Jha said that about 300 million domestic tourists were said to have visited important tourist spots in one year when the study was undertaken.

With this huge potential, there was no need to depend solely on foreign travellers to boost tourism, which traverses the entire economic activities of a country.

Mr Mahendra Jain, Tourism Commissioner, Karnataka, highlighted the mega projects being planned in the State to improve connectivity and facilities for the tourists.