Karnataka Govt Mulls Karnataka Mantapa Near Metro Station

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the government is considering a new ‘Karnataka Mantapa’ near a metro station, with Jakkur, Mysore Lamps and NGEF among the locations being looked at.

He said, “The government is considering constructing a ‘Karnataka Mantapa’, modeled after Delhi’s ‘Bharat Mandapam’, near a metro station at locations such as Jakkur, Mysore Lamps, or NGEF.”

Announcement at tourism awards event

Mr. Shivakumar was speaking after inaugurating the first-ever Karnataka Tourism Awards ceremony at Palace Grounds on Sunday to mark World Tourism Day.

The event was organised by the Department of Tourism and Karnataka Tourism Society (KTS) to recognise and felicitate stakeholders contributing to the Tourism sector.

The awards were given for the first time under 35 different categories, including best business hotel, eco-friendly resort, best educational institute in tourism, rural tourism project, wellness retreat, tourism startup and others.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar presented the awards to the winners.

Focus on digital tourism ecosystem

Addressing the awardees on the occasion of World Tourism Day, K.J. George, Minister for Energy and Tourism, said tourism must move beyond digital marketing.

Mr. George said, “Tourism must move beyond digital marketing towards a fully connected digital ecosystem that improves the entire visitor experience.”

He added, “We should use Artificial Intelligence not merely to make tourism smarter, but to make it more inclusive, sustainable and meaningful.

“The benefits of this transformation must reach not only large companies, but also homestay owners, tourist guides, artisans, small entrepreneurs and young people.”

Mr. George highlighted that AI-based tourism services could help visitors create personalised itineraries based on their interests, travel duration and requirements.

He said such services could provide multilingual information and connect visitors with recognised tourism service providers.

Mr. George said the Tourism Department is working towards developing such technology-driven solutions.

The ceremony combined the government’s consideration of a major tourism-related venue with recognition for stakeholders across hotels, resorts, education, rural tourism, wellness, startups and other categories.

Source: The Hindu