CM instructs DCs to take up survey, conservation of potential tourist locations

Bengaluru: New regulations will be announced after Deputy Commissioners come out with master plans for tourism development in their respective districts, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, here yesterday.

Presiding over the meeting with Deputy Commissioners, ZP CEOs, and In-charge Secretaries on second consecutive day on Tuesday, CM said that the tourism sector in the State has been neglected with tourists including foreigners not having access to five-star and quality hotels in many tourist spots.

“Developing the tourism sector will help create jobs and boost economic activities. The 320 km stretch in coastal areas, which has the potential to be developed as a tourist location, has been utilised to its fullest potential. Though there are a few hindrances concerning the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, measures to resolve the issues should be initiated,” he added.

Stating that, the State Government was ready to extend necessary help for development of tourism, CM Siddaramaiah instructed the Deputy Commissioners to explore possibilities to boost tourism sector not only in association with private partners, but also in association with Government agencies.

“There is a need to come out with a blueprint for the overall development of the tourism sector to attract investments. Currently, only a few tourist locations are being highlighted, whereas the State is home to more than 25,000 monuments out of which 23,000 have been neglected. The tourism sector can be developed only by implementation of The Karnataka Tourism Trade Facilitation Act, 2015,” he added.

Instructing the Deputy Commissioners to draw a master plan to survey and conserve tourist locations, CM Siddaramaiah said that, the plan to identify new tourist locations must be ready within three months and added that, renovation and development works must be taken up in different stages.  He also said that initiatives such as handbooks on tourism, endowment programmes, monument adoption, and conservation programmes must be introduced to boost tourism.

Citing the need for a separate initiative for the development of coastal and Malnad regions, Siddaramaiah added that, there was a need to check migration from the coastal region to Mumbai and gulf countries in search of jobs, by creating employment opportunities in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister H.K. Patil instructed the officials to take up the survey of 25,000 monuments in the State and to also prepare the master plan within the deadline of three months for developing the tourism sector with the help of qualified guides, litterateurs, writers and artistes and to submit the same before the State Tourism Committee.

“The monolithic hill in Madhugiri (Tumakuru district), Kappat Gudda (Gadag district) possess a great potential to be developed as a tourist location. Deputy Commissioners should concentrate on such locations to boost the tourism sector in the State,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was also present in the meeting, added that the coastal region in the State had a great potential to be developed as a tourist hub and the Officers should act on these lines.