NEWS – Karnataka cabinet recently approved New Tourism Policy 2024-29 with an aim to create a high-quality tourist-centric ecosystem.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Investment Goals:
  • Targeting investments of Rs 1,500 crore.
  • Expected to create 47,000 direct jobs and over 1 lakh indirect jobs.

Key Focus Areas

• Tourism Themes:
  • Promotion of 24 themes including:
    • Cuisines
    • Golf
    • Weddings
  • Special emphasis on cuisine tourism through gastronomy trails.
• Targeted Tourist Numbers:
  • Aim to attract 20 lakh foreign tourists
  • Increase domestic footfalls to 48 crore from the current 23 crore.

Strategic Collaborations

• Wine and Coffee Tourism:
  • Collaborate with Karnataka Wine Board for wine tourism packages.
  • Partner with Coffee Board of India to promote coffee tourism.
• Advisory Group:
  • Establishment of an advisory group to guide and monitor tourism promotion efforts.

Marketing and Promotion Strategies

• Domestic Campaigns:
  • Launching campaigns under the theme ‘Ullasa Pravasa’ to encourage short trips and weekend tours.
• Tourist Comfort Initiatives:
  • Development of facilities to enhance visitor experience:
    • Night markets
    • Artisan villages
    • Monument illumination
    • Sound and light shows
    • Food trails
    • Live music venues
    • Cultural performances

Infrastructure and Development Plans

• Tourist Destinations:
  • Plan to develop 30 tourist destinations under the one district-one project scheme.
  • Creation of 50 adventure tourism destinations (land, water, and air) by 2029.
• Land Monetization:
  • Monetize 680 acres of land to promote tourism.
  • Attract projects worth Rs 7,800 crore under public-private partnerships over the next five years.

Investment and Financial Incentives

• Global Tourism Investors’ Meet:
  • Organizing a meet to showcase Karnataka’s tourism investment potential.
• Tourism Development Fund:
  • Establish a fund supported by budgetary allocations and external sources to develop hospitality infrastructure.
• Subsidies and Exemptions:
  • Capital investment subsidy of up to 25% for tourism projects outside Bengaluru Urban district, capped at Rs 10 crore.
  • Exemptions on:
    • Stamp duty
    • Registration charges
    • Land conversion fees for new and expansion projects.
  • Support for Service Providers:
    • Reimbursement of motor vehicle tax for new buses and cabs for tourism service providers for five years.
    • Electricity and water provided to homestays at domestic tariffs.