BENGALURU: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday unveiled the state’s new tourism policy which aims to generate over 10 lakh direct and indirect jobs in the sector and Rs 5,000 crore in investments by 2025. Revenue Minister R Ashoka was present. The policy promotes 26 different types of products focusing on three Cs — Culture, Craft and Cuisine. And the first in this line — caravan tourism — has already been flagged off.
Through the disbursal of Rs 409.5 crore in subsidies for five years, a minimum of Rs 2,789 crore is expected for Karnataka’s tourism sector. The investment shall lead to the creation or significant expansion of 190 tourism projects in the state. “Under ‘Baa, Nodu Baa’ (Come and See) tagline, we are promoting rural and agri tourism. We want to pin the lesser known places on the tourism map. So we have asked citizens to create at least a 30-second video of the place and upload on social media, tagging the department.
We will promote it,” Tourism and Kannada and Culture Minister C T Ravi said. The policy’s aim is to revive the state’s economy after the pandemic and to draw tourists to unexplored and isolated destinations. It also aims to increase the contribution of the sector from 14.8 per cent to 20 per cent of the GDP by 2025, Ravi said. A tourism development fund has also been set up to identify land and set up hotels, wherever the need is. The policy gives importance to the role of tourism in achieving the sustainable development goals set by the UN, he said.
“Ever since the lockdown has been lifted, there has been a 30 per cent income generation from tourism and more needs to be done,” Ravi said. “It will be only by March that tourists will start coming to the state. This December holiday season will see a lull from those coming from other states. And the new policy will help revive the sector,” Ravi told TNIE on the sidelines of the launch of the Tourism Policy 2020- 25 as part of the World Tourism Day.
Tourism department officials said they were also looking for hotels, resorts and areas where locals and tourists throng. “If there is a hotel which many tourists visit, but is not on social media and has good road connectivity, tell us. We will geotag it, offer subsidies for expansion and promotion,” an official said.