TravTalk India Online Magazine
The Karnataka government’s five new policies are aimed at boosting heritage, wildlife, spiritual, cultural, adventure, coastal, nature, health, and agriculture tourism, as well as looking into the development of destinations, providing basic amenities, and generating revenue.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the industry, particularly in the tourism sector. In an interview, Kumar Pushkar, IFS, Managing Director, Jungle Lodges & Resorts, states that tourism accounts for around 15% of
Karnataka’s GDP.
The industry employs around 30 lakh people directly or indirectly. The state has potential, but it is critical to ensure that potential is fully utilized in order for it to contribute to economic progress. “I wouldn’t say Karnataka absolutely needs revival,” Pushkar says of the tourism comeback. “It was probably a break for some time due of the first and second wave of COVID.”
Citing Jungle Lodges & Resorts as an example, he notes that last year, after the initial wave of lockdown, when the industry began to open up, the Jungle lodge was running well and sales were fairly decent. In fact, in December of last year, they recorded the biggest revenue for jungle lodges in 40 years.
When asked about the increase in bookings, Pushkar says, “The lockdown may have increased people’s desire to travel, relocate, and work from their new location. Working from home offers an alternative where people can relax as well as work. As a result, this was a new dimension that added up and led to an increase in bookings.”
In glory of World Tourism Day in 2020, the Karnataka government unveiled five new policies aimed at boosting heritage, wildlife, spiritual, cultural, adventure, coastal, nature, health, and agriculture tourism, as well as looking into the development of tourist destinations, providing basic amenities, and generating revenue. The Karnataka government is hoping for a successful execution of its Tourism Policy 2020-2025 this year. By 2025, the new
tourism policy is estimated to generate over 10 lakh employment and 5,000 crore in investments in the sector. “The tourism policy supports greater participation of the local community in tourism activities to achieve inclusive socio-cultural growth and provide economic benefits for the people of Karnataka,” the state government says in a statement. “The new tourism policy will help people invest in Karnataka that will add to the economy and boost tourism in the state” Pushkar says.
