Karnataka's first tourism master plan released

A master plan for the of tourism in the state of Karnataka, has been released by the state government's Department of Tourism. Based on the Karnataka State Planning Board's Vision 2020 document, Minister for Tourism and Infrastructure Development, Mr G Janardhan Reddy, said that the master plan looks to attract private investment through  public private participation and special purpose vehicles.

The master plan will strive to identify the direct and indirect economic impact of the Traveller Economy. Among the projects envisaged by the master plan include a heritage centre in Hampi, a sports city in Gulbarga and a knowledge park in Bellary. The minister said that the government would build helipads in and around key tourism destinations in the State.

On the occasion of the release of the master plan, the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) also launched the luxury train, Southern Splendour, which will cover the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puduchery.