Kerala - Kochi   

Luring tourists with gusto tourism trail

Regal splendour: A view of the monuments of Hampi in Karnataka.

KOCHI: Karnataka seems to be among the few States that have understood the importance of good road connectivity in promoting tourism.

The State has laid special emphasis on quality of roads and allied infrastructure, to promote driving holiday circuits (ensuring good connectivity between prominent tourist locales). One among the prominent offers from Karnataka Tourism is “Celebrate the open road.”

Out in Kochi to hard-sell his State, Director of Karnataka Tourism C. Somasekhara spoke of how Karnataka was becoming a dream trail for driving buffs.

“Our State has some of the most well-maintained and scenic roadways in India. The diverse terrain offers a kaleidoscope of changing views for travellers. We have sought a higher budgetary allocation for roads, to ensure a smooth and safe ride for regular users and guests,” he said.

He was armed with photographs of some neatly maintained roads of the State, amid nature’s bounty of wildlife sanctuaries, the Western Ghats, beaches and water bodies. Home to a sheer variety of tourism products, Karnataka has been promoting road rides from Bangalore to Hampi, Karwar and Hubli; Hubli and Mangalore to Karwar; Hassan to Mangalore/the coast through Sakleshpur; and Shimoga to the coast through Jog Falls.

Mr. Somasekhara said that after IT, tourism was all set to become the next revolution in Karnataka. “We were able to attract 5.5 lakh international and 270 lakh domestic travellers last year. The tourism sector is growing at the rate of 20 per cent each year,” he said.

Karnataka is home to the largest open-air museum at Hampi, the seat of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire. Beaches appear like a dream out of nowhere and hill stations emerge from the mist. Be it the stubborn rocks that challenge climbers or the deep-green corridors of the tropical forests that invite wild wanderers, Karnataka has it all. It is being promoted as “One State, Many Worlds.”

The Golden Chariot, Karnataka’s version of luxury tourist train, will be launched soon, to coincide with the State’s 51st formation day. It takes people from Bangalore to Goa, through Mysore, Hassan, Hampi and Gadag in seven days.

The State is home to two of India’s 26 world heritage sites and has the sole Tibetan monastery in southern India. Trekking along the Western Ghats is quite an inspiring thing to do and is a favourite of the techie crowd who descend here during weekends. Forget maddening traffic snarls and pollution of Bangalore, the city has managed to retain its uniqueness of having around 40 per cent of its area under a canopy of trees, greenery and floriculture. Bangalore will host an investor meet on January 10, aimed at promoting tourism further.

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