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| KSTDC to expand hotel network |
| Mahesh Kulkarni / Chennai/ Bangalore Mar 09, 2009, 00:35 IST |
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Plans non-AC taxis to international airport.
State-owned Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is increasing room inventory at some of its select hotels as well as upgrading a few others to 2-3 star category to attract more tourists. The corporation is adding another 50 rooms at its existing 16 hotels, to take the total number of rooms to 150 by August this year.
According to Vinay Luthra, managing director, KSTDC the expansion is being carried out to accommodate more tourists at affordable prices in some of the important tourism locations in the state. KSTDC is currently spending Rs 10 crore from its own resources to augment the capacity and upgrade some hotels.
KSTDC is adding 10 new rooms at Srirangapatna, 26 in Madikeri and 14 in Badami by end of April this year. All hotel properties of KSTDC have been rebranded ‘Karnataka Hotels’, he said.
“We are upgrading some of our best hotels and refurbishing them with additional facilities and attractions by the start of the next tourism season. The hotels at Nandi Hills, Muthyalamadu, Hampi, Madikeri and Mysore which is housed in a heritage building, Srirangapatna, Udhagamandalam, Badami and Bijapur in North Karnataka have been given a makeover,” Luthra told Business Standard.
The corporation is adding Ayurvedic massage parlours, conference room and landscaping at Hampi, Madikeri and Srirangapatna hotels. The private sector is being invited to open retail shops at these hotels. It will soon start online room reservation facility to enable tourists from across the world to book their entire tour package, including hotel room and sight-seeing online in the next 15 days, he said.
“Our aim is to make available our services to all segments including the middle-income and high-end travellers and not just budget tourists. Each one of our hotels will be developed as a destination in itself,” Luthra said.
The corporation has also bought 16 new buses including four Volvo buses recently at a cost of Rs 5 crore and proposes to start new package tours from Gulbarga to places like Shirdi, Bidar and Hyderabad. It is also starting serviceS to important pilgrim centres on Karnataka’s coastline, like Udupi, Murudeshwar, Gokarna, Malpe among others shortly, he added.
Luthra said the corporation will soon start non-air conditioned taxi service from Bangalore city to the international airport at Devanahalli and back. It aims to press into service Tata Indica and Maruti vans for the service.
The taxi service has been rebranded ‘Karnataka Taxi’, he said.
“We are currently in talks with the authorities of the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) for allocating another 300 licences in addition to the existing 100 licences for operating air conditioned taxis. We are hopeful of getting the permission in a few days. With this, travel to airport and back will be much more affordable for the common man as the tariff is going to be Rs 12 per km,” he said. Currently, AC taxis are charging Rs 15 per km.
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