Karnataka will prepare a tourism master plan for non-resident Indian investors within two to three months, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said at a state tourism awards event in Bengaluru on Sunday. The government also plans to formulate a new tourism infrastructure policy to address gaps in coastal facilities, connectivity and visitor access across the state.
Shivakumar said the state had established a Global Investors Department and opened a dedicated division for non-resident Indians. He added that measures would be taken to prevent harassment by officials faced by investors. The Chief Minister said the master plan would be prepared after visits to different states to study their tourism models.
The government also plans to take a delegation to the Centre in coordination with Karnataka’s Members of Parliament, Shivakumar said. He said Karnataka’s coastal areas would be provided with facilities similar to those available in Kerala and Goa, while noting that the state’s 320-kilometre coastline had not been adequately introduced to a wider audience.
According to the Chief Minister, the proposed tourism infrastructure policy will also examine connectivity gaps. He said Mangaluru did not have an international airport and that such deficiencies needed to be addressed. The government’s stated focus is to make Karnataka’s tourism sector smarter, more integrated and sustainable.
Shivakumar highlighted Karnataka’s forests, coastline, hills, waterfalls, history and culture as assets that could support tourism development. He also referred to Shivanasamudra, where electricity was generated for the first time in Asia, and said sites of this kind needed to be brought to the attention of more visitors.
Tourism and Energy Minister K.J. George said the department would use digital technology and artificial intelligence to reshape the tourism experience. He said tourism businesses had traditionally used digital tools mainly for websites, social media and online promotion, but that travel now needed to become a more seamless digital journey.
George said the government would seek to make tourism smart, integrated and sustainable. He added that the future of the sector could not be built by the government alone and would require participation from industry, technology companies, start-ups, educational institutions and local communities.
The announcements were made during World Tourism Day celebrations organised by the Tourism Department and the Tourism Society in Bengaluru. The event included the screening of a documentary on programmes undertaken by the department during its first 100 days.
For the first time, the department presented Karnataka Tourism Awards across 35 categories. Awards were given to hotels and accommodation providers, regional cuisine centres, travel agents, tourist guides, start-ups, writers, destinations with good facilities and homestays supporting rural tourism. The government’s next stated step is to prepare the master plan within the announced two-to-three-month period and work towards the proposed tourism infrastructure policy.
