BENGALURU: Tourists visiting the state this year will be encouraged to explore the numerous experiences that Karnataka has to offer, ranging from beaches and hill stations to adventure tourism and road trip destinations. The Tourism Department on Monday announced ‘Script Your Adventure’ as the theme for 2018 which will replace last year’s theme of ‘Year of the Wild’.
The new theme was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and will complement the state’s tagline ‘One State, Many Worlds’. Speaking during the launch on Monday, Siddaramaiah said, “Karnataka has a plethora of rich offerings for you to enjoy. Be it heritage, culture, nature, beaches or wildlife. On behalf of the people of Karnataka, I extend a warm welcome to all to this beautiful state to script your adventure.”
Explaining the theme, Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge said it is aimed at pushing tourists to experience the vast range of adventure sports available in the state. “Tourists can not only experience the rich history, people and culture, but also experience the wild side of life,” he said.
Tourists to the state are increasingly opting for a ‘beyond the usual’ experience, which is far beyond mere sightseeing and the Tourism Department wants to capitalise on this. “Travellers are looking for experiential travel, and the state’s unique geographic features like jungle tracks, forests and a vast coastline offer a promising destination for every experiential traveller,” a statement from the Tourism Department said.
The ‘Year of the Wild’ campaign for 2017 attracted a lot of interest and was positive and encouraging for the tourism sector in the state. “The initiative popularised adventure and sustainable tourism practises. New initiatives like an international surfing festival, motorcycle tourism circuit, sky diving and aero sports were started,” the statement said.