Various stakeholders, including the public, on Wednesday urged the district administration to improve the hygiene across the district besides providing basic amenities, including rest rooms to boost tourism in Dakshina Kannada district.
They were participating in an interactive session on coastal Karnataka tourism to promote tourism in the district organised by the district administration and the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry here. The major casualty has been cleanliness of beaches because of continued open defecation, participants pointed out.
Subodh Shetty, a participant, urged the district administration to identify and demarcate bicycle tracks in Mangaluru and surrounding areas to attract tourists as well as promote non-motorised transport in the region. He also suggested formation of a jogging track along Tannirbhavi Beach.
Rubin from the Mangalore Surf Club suggested promotion of surfing in a big way along the coast, which could usher in cleanliness, safety of tourists as well as additional income to the local population. Local residents, trained in surfing, could act as saviours of those drowning in beaches, he suggested. Intervening, Yatish Baikampady of the Panambur Beach Development Project said they want to establish local surfing clubs in each of the coastal villages between Panambur and Surathkal to promote tourism and ensure safety of tourists.
KCCI president Jeevan Saldanha, who was moderating the discussion, said the administration has decided to declare Sasihithlu Beach as an exclusive surfing zone for the area.
Akhtar, a dental surgeon and artist, suggested using the Gurupura (Phalguni) river for water sports and other related activities. He also felt museums and art exhibition centres needed to be promoted.
Neglected region
Albuquerque from the Summer Sands and Abbas Uchchil from Uchchila regretted that the Ullal-Someshwara-Batpady beachfront is the most neglected region though it has a huge tourism potential. Mr. Albuquerque said Ullal Beach is eroded by about 300 metres because of construction of brake water for Mangaluru Fishing Harbour. The ADB-assisted beach restoration project is going nowhere, he added.
Mr. Uchchil wondered what happened to the Rs. 7 crore granted for Uchchila and Talapady beach development. A Batpady resident suggested developing a one acre river island in the region.
There were suggestions to promote temple and heritage tourism by conducting organised tours at regular intervals. Places of interest in neighbouring districts too should be added, participants suggested. Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha said all the suggestions made were good and that the administration needs time to work on them. He promised to take the suggestions to a logical end.
Autorickshaw drivers as ambassadors
Special Correspondent
MANGALURU: The Kudla Souharda Sahakari, a cooperative of autorickshaw drivers, has plans to install tablets inside the vehicles to provide information on fingertips.
Sahakari president V.N. Prakash said the Sahakari is in the process of installing GPS on vehicles and establishing a call-centre to offer round-the-clock service on call. The tablet would contain all tourism related information as well as other information about the city, he said.
He urged the Tourism Department to brand such autorickshaws, offer necessary training to drivers and keep them updated with information.
Several participants in the session underlined the need of utilising drivers of autorickshaws and taxis and bus crew as tourism ambassadors.s
