The Hindu Business Line : Karnataka plans to set up eco-tourism zones

DEVELOPMENT of eco-tourism zones, a tourism park near Bangalore and a special rain festival to attract tourists from the Gulf are among a series of initiatives being planned by the Karnataka Government to boost the number of tourist arrivals in the State.

The Karnataka Minister for Tourism, Mr D.T. Jayakumar, who is in Dubai for the launch of the Indian pavilion with the Karnataka theme, at the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival, told Business Line that tourism had so far been a neglected sector in the State, but moves are now underway to involve the private sector to launch a number of projects that will boost the image of the State as a prime Indian tourist destination.

"Karnataka is blessed with a number of natural and historical sites. We are now looking to develop the infrastructure in these sites and also involve the private sector in setting up resorts and other amenities. After the budgetary allocations in March, we plan to set up a nine-member expert committee to provide guidelines for developing tourism in the State,'' he said.

Mr Jayakumar said eco-tourism is one of the focus areas in the State's agenda. The scenic spots on the Western Ghats would be developed, while ropeways would be built in places such as Nandi Hills, Chamundi Hills, Jog Falls and Kollur to offer visitors breathtaking views in these beautiful places.

A proposal for building a tourist-cum-cultural park and a golf course on 500 acres of land near Nandi Hills on the lines of Surajkund in Haryana is also being looked at, though it is subject to acquisition of land for the purpose, he said.

In view of the fascination for rains among Gulf tourists, Karnataka is seriously looking at launching a rain festival on an annual basis to attract tourists from the Gulf region during the traditional offseason. "Popular spots in the Western Ghats as well as places such as Coorg, Gokarna and Kemmangudi can be developed for attracting tourists in the rainy season.''

"Currently, we do not have the infrastructure to attract tourists in large numbers, but we plan to offer some packages initially, and based on the response, we will develop this in a big way in the coming years,'' Mr Jayakumar said.

Naturopathy also has great potential, the Minister said, and centres in Dharmasthala as well as other parts of the State would be encouraged to enter into tie-ups for tourism purposes.

He invited NRI investments in these ventures and stressed the importance of involving the private sector due to budgetary constraints on the Government side.

Mr Jayakumar pointed out that last week two interesting projects that would impact tourism in the State were cleared by the Government among nearly ten projects valued at Rs 14,000 crore. One was the ISKON Village, similar to the one in Los Angeles, planned on the outskirts of Bangalore and the second was the Rs 120-crore Film Innovation City.

Mr Jayakumar said that events like the Dubai Shopping Festival helped in wide global exposure for the State and in mutual exchange of tourism. He was happy with the response to the Karnataka theme at the Indian pavilion, where a `mela' kind of atmosphere has been created.

The pavilion has a façade of the Mysore Palace and the famous Hampi chariot has been placed at the centre of a huge courtyard housing over 300 outlets. The stage where cultural performances are held daily has been patterned on Hoysala architecture.

Mr Sunil Bhatia of the Indian Association, Dubai, who co-ordinated the setting up of the pavilion, said that over 100 artistes and eight demo craftsmen are to perform at the month-long festival. There will also be special appearances by well-known Indian cultural artistes and film personalities.

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