K'taka eyeing one crore tourist footfalls in three years

Bengaluru, Sep 28 (IANS) The Karnataka government is eyeing a three-fold increase in the number of tourists visiting the state over the next three years.Speaking at the release of the revised tourism policy for 2020-26, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday stressed on the need to get one crore people to visit Karnataka over the next three years from the current figures of 30 lakh tourists.Bommai expressed confidence that Karnataka will soon figure prominently on the international tourism map, especially since UNESCO has already identified Hampi as a World Heritage Centre, while Belur and Halebid are expected to be included in that list shortly.The government is also working out the details of two tourist circuits. While the first tourism circuit comprises Belur, Halebid, Somanathapur and surrounding places and is called 'Mysuru Circuit', the second circuit in the northern part of the state includes Badami, Pattadakal and Hampi, and called the 'Hampi Circuit'. "The plan is being readied to take these two circuits to the international level," Bommai said.The Chief Minister also urged the tourist guides to work with dedication and honesty, and advised them against misleading the tourists.
--IANS pvn/arm

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