K'taka working to draw tourists for Dasara

The state tourism department has taken up pro-active measures to publicise Dasara not only in Karnataka but also in other parts of India by making a slew of offers to draw tourists to Mysore.

Besides inter-state entry tax exemption on vehicles coming to Mysore for the entire October, it has taken up promotional activities across India through in-flight magazines like Air India, Jetwings, Travel and Entertainment Magazine; internet sites like makemytrip.com and IRCTC, and through Radio City and big FM. These will be taken up cities like Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mysore and Mangalore.

Dasara promotion is also being done in New Delhi, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Goa airports, while tourist information counters are being set up at airports and railway stations at Bangalore and Mysore.

In association with KSRTC, the department is introducing Hop-on hop-off bus services, 'Mysore on wheels', covering 16 tourist spots during the city tour. A tourist will have the facility to get into a bus at any tourist spot within the city and alight at any spot. The service will continue even after Dasara. A gold pass for Volvo bus will cost Rs. 100 and Rs 60 for non-volvo bus.

Besides, tour packages of KSTDC and KSRTC are being offered covering tourist places in and around Mysore like Ranganathittu bird sanctuary, Srirangapatna, Kokkare Bellur, Nanjangud, Gopalaswamy Hills, Bandipur, Talakad, Shimsha, BR Hills, K Gudi, Bylakuppe and Madikeri. Apart from this, KSRTC has five packages - Giridarshini, Jaladarshini, Devadarshini, Nagaradarshini and Bangalore-Mysore Darshana.

The department will showcase tourism spots of Karnataka at the Dasara exhibition. It is setting up stalls under the theme, 'Crafts of Karnataka' where crafts of the state will be depicted. KSTDC will display the model of 'Golden Chariot' luxury train on the exhibition premises. Tourism minister RV Deshpande said in Mysore two main projects had been prioritised for 2013-14 for Mysore under GoI projects. These were Rs 5.25-crore tourism infrastructure at Mysore Palace and Rs 8 crore development of Mysore circuit as eco-tourism circuit and rejuvenation of Brindavan Gardens.