The Karnataka government has allocated Rs 180 crore for taking up various tourism projects.
Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) managing director Vinay Luthra said the department would use the money for adding new rooms at a cost of around Rs 50 crore and upgrading the existing hotels for Rs 10 crore.
KSTDC owns 16 hotels and runs 20 on a franchisee basis. The department is planning to add 26 rooms in Coorg and 10 rooms in Srirangapatinam. In Ooty, it is constructing a hotel with an investment of Rs 5 crore.
Besides, it is planning to privatise 23 roadside facilities on a repair, own and manage basis. “To upgrade the roads, which connects important tourist destinations, the government has allocated Rs 30 crore,” he said. Another Rs 30 crore has been allocated to renovate an important Sikh temple in Bidar in North Karnataka and Rs 20 crore for marketing purpose.
Since Hampi is an important tourist destination, the government has given a grant of Rs 32 crore to create various infrastructure projects and to buy battery-operated vehicles. The department is also planning to set up 23 helipads with an investment of Rs 10-15 lakh each at various destinations to promote heli tourism in the state. This would be mainly to attract foreign tourist.
Luthra said eight companies had shown interest in the project including Deccan Aviation and HAL.
The department would also promote cruise tourism by bringing a ship, which will have casinos and other entertainments on board. For this, it plans to rope in a foreign partner. The Mangalore port has been identified to facilitate the proposed tourism.
