Mysore/Mysuru: For travellers seeking a home away from home, homestays are the preferred choice of accommodation, offering a cosy and personalised experience. Likewise, for owners of these accommodations, homestays serve as a valuable source of income.

However, it has come to the attention of the Mysuru District Administration that a significant number of homestays operate without proper registration. Consequently, the District Administration has taken the decision to close down unauthorised homestays currently operating in the district.

The number of unregistered homestays far exceeds the number of registered ones, raising concerns about compliance with regulations. These unregistered establishments operate outside the purview of the administration, leading to various complaints and issues.

Chairing the meeting of the Mysuru District Tourism Development Committee at the Zilla Panchayat Hall on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. K.V. Rajendra noted a surge in the number of illegal homestays. He instructed the Tourism Department to take action against such establishments, ensuring thorough documentation of their activities.

Exclusive Mysuru tourism website

Furthermore, he directed the Tourism Department to designate officers from each Department within the Tourism Committee and organise meetings every three months, inviting stakeholders from the tourism industry. These meetings aim to foster collaboration for the development of tourism and tourist sites.

In order to boost tourism in Mysuru, the Department has decided to launch an exclusive website to provide comprehensive information accessible to the public. This website will serve as a platform to offer details about tourist sites and other relevant information for both the public and tourists alike.

Additionally, the Deputy Commissioner emphasised that any upcoming hotels, restaurants or related facilities must first register under the Nidhi portal. This directive was addressed to the City Corporation and the Gram Panchayats operating within their jurisdictions.

Tourism promotion

Furthermore, he mentioned that necessary facilities required for the enhancement of tourist sites have already been developed and any further works in this regard will require permission from the Deputy Commissioner.

Efforts should be dedicated to addressing shortcomings in identified tourist spots, allocating necessary manpower for their enhancement. Moreover, any undiscovered tourist attractions should be identified, documented and incorporated into the  tourism itinerary.

To entice tourists, promotional campaigns should encompass the creation of short videos and the organisation of competitions involving renowned bloggers and photographers, all centred around showcasing the beauty of these tourist spots. Cash rewards could be offered as incentives for outstanding contributions. Exceptional videos and photographs could then be compiled into coffee table books for wider dissemination.

Various tourism packages should be made available to attract tourists, including special tour packages or round-trip options. These efforts should be led by the Tourism Department to ensure effective execution, the DC added.

Dr. Rajendra underscored the importance of extensively utilising the new logo and tagline to promote the Mysuru brand. As part of this effort, a mascot named ‘Gajju’ has been introduced, depicting an elephant adorned with the iconic Mysuru Peta and dressed in traditional ‘panche’ or ‘dhoti’.

The logo is complemented by the tagline ‘Our Heritage Your Destination.’ Additionally, the logo incorporates two caparisoned elephants positioned alongside the mythical bird                           ‘Gandaberunda.’

Zilla Panchayat CEO K.M. Gayathri, SP Seema Latkar, Tourism Department Joint Director M.K. Savitha, Information Department Assistant Director T.K. Harish and others were present.