The island town of Srirangapatana, the heritage sites of Belur and Halebid, and Mysuru are among the 20 destinations identified by the State government for the comprehensive development of tourism promotion in the first phase.
The blueprint and the detailed project reports are in the final stages of preparation and once implemented, these destinations will witness a makeover with enhanced facilities.
KSTDC Managing Director Kumar Pushkar told The Hindu that 319 destinations have been identified in the State as sites with good potential for tourism.
Of them, 20 of them will be taken up in the first phase.
“We cannot adequately fund the work if we take up all the sites simultaneously and therefore we have zeroed in on 20 sites. These include Srirangapatana, Mysuru, Kodagu, Belur, Halebid, Badami, Ahihole, and Pattadakallu among others,” said Mr. Pushkar.
The project will also involve other departments, including Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, local municipalities and will address issues related to restoration of monuments, better administration around the tourist sites by way of ensuring cleanliness and hygiene, solid waste management, installation of signages, among others.
Mr. Pushkar said there is no dearth of funds for the project and both the Union and the State governments are prepared to bring about a transformation in these sites within three years.
“We are taking a holistic approach and visible changes can be expected within three years,” Mr. Pushkar added.
Though Mr. Pushkar did not specify the kind of investment the entire project envisages, other sources aver that the project could run into a few hundred crores of rupees but the returns and benefits outweigh the expenditure. Mr. Pushkar said Hampi has been identified by the Union government as one of the destinations to be developed on international standards alongside the Ajanta and Ellora caves, the Taj Mahal, Khajuraho etc. and the State projects will follow the same template.
Welcoming the State government’s initiative, stakeholders said such promotional drives were long overdue.
They said that the State had enough tourist sites to satiate and cater to diverse tastes.
Jaykumar of Travel Parkz said there was sufficient traction in the tourism sector with better connectivity to Mysuru by way of new flights, more trains and better roads and the new drive should augur well for the tourism sector.
