
BENGALURU: Two tourism potential destinations in Karnataka — Bidar and Udupi — have been listed to be developed under the Talent Based Destination Development Programme, which is a part of the Swadesh Darshan initiative of the tourism vertical. The idea being, not just to improve the district, the destinations and sites independently, but to create a competitive environment for states to be able to draw more tourists with more facilities.
Under this, the Ministry of Tourism has listed 42 destinations in India, of which Bidar and Udupi were chosen to be funded with Rs 25 crore and Rs 10 crore, respectively.
“While Bidar will be improved under the cultural category, Udupi will be taken up for improvement under the eco-tourism and Amrit Dharohar scheme. The two projects are in the initial stages. We have received a project report for the works to be taken up. It is being sent to the ministry for approval, following which it will be released in the coming fiscal,”
Director, Ministry of Tourism, Karnataka, Mohamed Farouk, said. Under this, the departments and the destination heads will also have the opportunity to throw challenges to a select site or to a state by setting targets of the works being undertaken. “A competitive environment will be created, which will ensure that facilities to tourists are improved, new sites and destinations are found and existing ones are made tourist friendly. States will also be able to take up specific projects in the chosen destinations for improvement,” he said.
So far, Mysuru and Hampi were chosen for improvement under Swadesh Darshan scheme in Karnataka.
“Karnakata has a lot of potential to offer and draw tourists. But little is being done. There are more plans on paper than what is executed on ground. The state should up its game and sent more proposals and locations to be included seeking Union Government fund. There are many domestic tourism options to showcase in Karnataka.
including coastal, nature and heritage. Many more tourism advances need to be done breaking the central and state divide,” an official from the Ministry of Tourism said.