Ahead of World Tourism Day, the State government has unveiled the Karnataka Tourism Policy 2020-25 that envisages greater participation of local communities in tourism activities. The core theme is agri and rural tourism with the objective of promoting not just agricultural activities, but also all aspects of rural life, including local cuisine, culture, tradition, and arts.
The policy was released by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa here on Sunday, along with Tourism Minister C.T. Ravi, Revenue Minister R. Ashok, and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation chairperson Shruthi.
According to a press release, the policy has been formulated thus in a bid to create inclusive socio-cultural growth and generate economic benefits for citizens. This is in line with the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations.
Through the policy, the government hopes to enhance Karnataka’s position as “a safe destination by ensuring a comfortable and inclusive experience for all tourists and by adopting safety and hygiene measures to adapt to the new normal”.
The release also stated that the aim is to generate over 10 lakh direct and indirect jobs and ₹5,000 crore in investments in the sector by 2025, apart from increasing the contribution of tourism to the State GDP from 14.8% to 20%.
The press release added that the focus would be on five As — attraction, accommodation, accessibility, amenities, and activities. Heritage tourism will also be promoted with focus on two Es — explore and experience. As many as 26 types of tourism products will be promoted during the five-year policy period, with focus on three Cs — culture, craft, and cuisine.
Several key tourist destinations have been identified for development with special emphasis on the experiential aspects of tourism.
To ensure tourism development across the State, district-level task forces are to be constituted, while an Investment Facilitation Cell will be set up to act as a nodal agency for enabling, facilitating, and monitoring investments.
