Southern States - Karnataka   

Karnataka unveils new tourism policy

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE Feb. 11. The Karnataka Chief Minister, S. M. Krishna, has said that the Government will accord priority to tourism and work closely with private parties to develop the sector.

Speaking after unveiling the new Tourism Policy 2002-2007 at "Connect II", a meeting on private-public partnership, here on Tuesday, Mr. Krishna said that his Government would seek resources from international agencies, local bodies and those involved in the tourism industry to make tourism the State's number one industry and also make the State the favourite destination of tourists worldwide.

Mr. Krishna said the new policy was aimed at giving a thrust to tourism. It provided a number of incentives and concessions to private investors.

He said tourism would transform the economy of the State and, in another 10 years, it would be its most important economic activity.

When "Connect" was formed a year ago, it attracted several decision-makers from the tourism sector and now "Connect II" would give boost to the sector.

Mr. Krishna agreed that the Cauvery dispute and the problems posed by the forest brigand, Veerappan, had affected tourism and there was a decline in the number of tourists visiting the State. He said the Government had made efforts to put an end to Veerappan's activities.

He said the Special Task Force had stepped up combing operations and hoped that "good news will come soon".

He launched "Athithi", a programme that provides tourists the experience of staying in a home here.

The Minister of State for Tourism, D. B. Inamdar, said that the new policy consolidated the existing legislation along with several new initiatives that would take tourism to world-class standards in the State.

Rathi Vinay, Secretary, Amitabh Kant, Joint Secretary (Tourism, Union Government), and I.M.Vittala Murthy, Tourism Commissioner, participated.

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