ONE STATE, MANY MISSED CHANCES

Karnataka's tourism potential remains largely untapped, and the state has much to learn about capitalising on trends, improving infrastructure, and marketing its heritage and beaches

- BOSKY KHANNA @Bengaluru

S a tourist destination, Karnataka lives up to its tagline: One State, Many Worlds. But for snow, the state offers everything that a tourist needs to relax and rejuvenate. Yet, to become the top preferred destination for all travellers, the authorities need to learn a little more about tourism, and adopt some of the best practices from destinations drawing higher footfalls, to improve facilities in the state.

Stakeholders, tour operators, industry experts and tourism officials point out that the Karnataka government needs to watch out for early trends and work fast to catch them, like the Ramayana Circuit, vegetarian and highway tourism.

Karnataka ranks fourth in India in the domestic tourism category, and is at 12 in international tourism. Experts suggest there is a lot of scope for improvement, especially when it comes to basics like wayside facilities and services.

"A 150km trip outside Bengaluru, and the world changes. There are poorly maintained wayside amenities, hotels and restaurants. Simple facilities like washrooms become a concern. The focus of the government is Bengaluru. But this is not the case with states like Tamil Nadu or Kerala," said Shobhith B, a software professional and avid traveller.

A tourism official likens the situation to too many cooks spoiling the broth, "As per standards, there should be a restroom facility every 60km. Construction of toilets along roads is the task of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Public Works Department (PWD), but the onus of maintaining them is on the property owner or district administration. Approval and funding rests with the finance department. Their construction and maintenance will benefit the tourism sector, which is not happening."

Karnataka recorded 4.85 lakh international tourist arrivals in 2024, up from 4.01 lakh tourists in 2023. The number of domestic tourists stood at 30.46 crore in 2024, compared to 28.35 crore in 2023.