Karnataka Coastal Tourism Policy Invitation to Private Firms, ETTravelWorld

The Karnataka government on Thursday announced that it is working on a dedicated “coastal tourism policy” and invited private players to be a partner in its growth story in the sector. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, in his address at a tourism and hospitality conference here, said the state is envisioning coming up with this policy, and projecting its coastal assets on the lines of Kerala and Goa.

Karnataka Tourism Minister H K Patil said the state government has identified 40 strategic nodes for development under the new policy. “Last month, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the deputy chief minister to create a clear strategy for coastal tourism in Karnataka,” Patil said.

He asserted that Karnataka is endowed with a beautiful nearly 320-km coastline, and termed coastal tourism a “priority”.

“We are going to formulate a new coastal tourism policy, and establish a coastal tourism development board to drive planned and sustainable development,” Patil said, as he invited the private sector to invest and set up key properties and resorts as part of the new policy.

He described coastal Karnataka as the “next frontier” in the tourism sector.

The government is already developing key sites, like Tanneerbhavi Beach, Someshwara Beach, Maravanthe Beach and Honnavar Beach, the tourism minister said.

The occasion was the 55th annual convention of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) in Bengaluru, being held from September 18-20. The conference, supported by the Karanataka Tourism, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

In his address, he said, the state aims to bring development in the sector while adhering to the spirit of sustainability. The chief minister said the state tourism department is moving beyond generic sites and promoting UNESCO sites and costal tourism sites in Karnataka.

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was scheduled to attend the inaugural session. However, he couldn’t make it to the opening session, and addressed the gathering after he arrived post the inaugural event.

He urged that stakeholders in the tourism sector were standing at the threshold of “limitless possibilities” and also urged the hotel groups and others to think and discuss how can cost of accommodation be “reduced” at hotels to make them more attractive to tourists. During the opening session, Karnataka Tourism Minister Patil said the state’s tourism policy is a blueprint for growth. In February, the government had unveiled the Karnataka Tourism Policy for 2024-29.

The policy provides a strong financial package support for the hospitality industry, including capital investment subsidies of up to Rs 5 crore for premium hotels, and Rs 2 crore for budget hotels, as well as subsidies of up to Rs 10 crore for convention centres and MICE venues, he said.

“Our government has given in-principle approval for subsidies for over 120 projects with an investment of over Rs 1,900 crore. These include sanctioning of two mega tourism projects, a five-star hotel near Hampi and a world-class events and concert facility near the Bangalore international airport.

The state government recently invited tenders for 13 tourism projects under PPP basis across heritage-rich districts of Karnataka, particularly, Gadag, Hassan and Mandya districts, he added. “To diversify our accomodation offerings, we will soon introduce a new homestay policy…We are also bringing a new bed and breakfast policy to encourage smaller, commercial sustainable stays,” Patil said.

FHRAI is the apex body of the Indian hospitality Industry, representing 60,000 hotels and 5,00,000 restaurants spanning the length and breadth of the vast country, according to its website. Since its inception in 1955, FHRAI has been working closely with the government and policy-making bodies, playing a seminal role in the growth of the tourism and hospitality sector of India.

The convention’s theme is ‘Future Scape 2047: Redefining Hospitality for a New Era’, and brings together a large number of industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and global experts to deliberate on the future roadmap of India’s hospitality and tourism sector.