Bengaluru, 28 Oct

The Cabinet on Monday cleared the new tourism policy for the state, with the government eyeing investments to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore in the sector.

Karnataka plans to attract 20 lakh foreign tourists a year to be among the top five states in this category, and with respect to domestic footfalls it wants to be among the top three states with a target of 48 crore local tourists, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

Coastal Karnataka alone saw more than eight crore visitors in 2023, a notification issued by the Tourism department.

"A dedicated coastal tourism development board shall be set up to plan and steer activities in the regions. The board shall also ensure infrastructure development," Salma K Fahim, Secretary, Department of Tourism, said.

Patil further said the new tourism policy wants to promote tourism in the state under themes -- adventure, agriculture, caravan, coastal, beach, cuisine, cultural, traditional, environment, education, film, golf, sports, tribal, wedding destination, health tourism among others.

Patil said the state government's intention is to see an increase in influx of both foreign and domestic visitors.

With an idea of large scale developments, the department is planning to put Transferable Development Rights (TDR) mechanism in place at identified coastal zones. Apart from this, a few special integrated coastal tourism zones are in the talks that would facilitate investments and projects that would provide world class facilities for tourists.

Shacks and Kiosks will also be erected at important zones with temporary facilities during the peak tourist seasons with seasonal employment opportunities, the department further said. –Salar News