Coastal Karnataka accounts for 10.6% - 15.5% of State's total tourist footfall
Coastal Karnataka accounts for 10.6% - 15.5% of the State's total tourist footfall, according to the Department of Tourism data.
Tourist footfall to coastal Karnataka went up from 11.49% of the State's total footfall in 2018 to 15.46% in 2023. The footfall to the coastal belt stood at 12.11 % in 2019, 12.93% in 2021 and 10.64% in 2022, as per the data.
The data was shared during a meeting presided over by Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The meeting was called to discuss promoting tourism in coastal Karnataka.
In 2023, as per the data, Dakshina Kannada attracted 3.28 crore tourists, Udupi district had 4.74 crore tourists and the number of tourists who visited Uttara Kannada stood at 74.48 lakh.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister said that if tourism thrived in the coastal belt, it would create more employment opportunities.
The Minister instructed the Director of the department to chalk out plans for promoting tourism by facilitating private participation.
The department officials told the Minister about the proposal to develop 12 beaches in Dakshina Kannada to attract tourists. The beaches identified are Uchila Batpady, Someshwara, Ullal, Bengre, Tannirbavi (two stretches with one stretch as Blue Flag beach), Panambur, Chitrapura, Hosabettu, Idya, Surathkal and Sasihitlu.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
How tourism battles back in Kashmir: Signs of revival two months after Pahalgam terror attack
Parvez Ahmad has been ferrying tourists on his shikara (boat) across Srinagar's picturesque Dal Lake for over two decades. As is his summer routine, he waits for tourists at one of the lake's ghats. 'Hethin hasa yin (tourists have started coming) finally,' Ahmad smiles as he invites a group of tourists from Punjab to hop aboard his boat. 'But not as many as there were before the attack,' he says on June 22, exactly two months after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in Baisaran Valley, about 100 km from Dal Lake. The April 22 attack in Baisaran valley of Pahalgam came at a time when the Valley was witnessing a tourism boom with a footfall that many estimated was at a fifteen-year high. The attack triggered widespread cancellations by tourists, affecting advance bookings. According to Jammu and Kashmir's Department of Tourism, the number of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 was approximately 35 lakh, a rise from 27 lakh in 2023 and 26 lakh in 2022. About 5 lakh tourists visited the region in the first three months of 2025. However, news agency PTI reported on April 23, citing Delhi-based travel agencies, that up to 90 per cent of travel bookings to the hilly state have been cancelled owing to safety concerns. Two months after the attack, tourism in Kashmir is finding its feet again, albeit slowly. "It is definitely showing signs of recovery by say 15 to 20 per cent so far. You can see yourself at Boulevard, Lal Chowk, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and other places,' Adil Khan, General Secretary, Skal International and former president of Kashmir Hotel and Restaurants Association, told local reporters in Srinagar. Khan is right. Boulevard Road, with Dal Lake glistening on one side, is once again dotted with tourists. After a few km drive from this road stand the famed Mughal Gardens – Nishat and Shalimar – both of which saw a fair share of tourists on Sunday. At Shalimar Bagh, most visitors were locals, though a fair number of tourists from outside the Valley had also made their way in. At Shalimar Bagh, most visitors were locals, though a fair number of tourists from outside the Valley had also made their way in. A family from Rajasthan asked a group of local women if they could hold and play with their infant — the women smiled and agreed. Tourism is not the mainstay, but one of the contributors to Jammu and Kashmir's economy. Never before have so many tourists been killed in a single attack in Kashmir's violent past. Tourism stakeholders like Shikara-owner Parvez said that numbers started increasing after the new train link, which for the first time connected Srinagar with the rest of India. On June 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train services from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) railway station in Jammu's Katra to Srinagar, Kashmir. 'We boarded a train from Katra and got to Srinagar in three hours,' said Vijay Anand from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, after a jet ski ride with his group on Dal Lake. Tourists waiting for a jet ski ride on Dal Lake in Srinagar. The new train has been in such demand that, according to travel agents, all seats are booked until the end of July. Others credited the re-opening of most of the parks and tourist destinations that had been closed after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack have also been reopened in a phased manner. The Jammu and Kashmir government shut 48 out of 87 tourist destinations across Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Sunday that Pahalgam hill station in South Kashmir was 'bustling with activity' with tourists from various parts of the country competing for space with local picnickers. Abdullah shared pictures of the crowded roads of the famed hill station in rainy weather on June 22. 'Today I came back to Pahalgam, which was bustling with activity. Tourists from various parts of the country competed for space with local picnickers who were enjoying the cool climate & rainy weather,' Abdullah said in a post on X. Hoteliers in Pahalgam, however, said tourists visiting the hill station are mostly locals. 'We have seen some improvement in bookings. But the most of the people you see on roads are locals who come on weekends and go back the same day,' said Javed Ahmad, who owns a hotel at the hill station. Last month, Abdullah took it upon himself to lead a campaign for the revival of tourism in the Valley. On May 28, Abdullah chaired a meeting of administrative secretaries and other top officials in Gulmarg health resort as part of his government's efforts to draw tourists back to Kashmir. A day before, he held a symbolic cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, the site of the April 22 terror attack. While the new train service appears to have helped revive Kashmir's tourism, officials told Livemint that the Srinagar airport has also seen an increase in arrivals in the last few weeks. On April 22, the day of the terror attack, 9,235 passengers arrived in 51 flights at Srinagar airport. The number fell to 4,341 passengers on 41 flights on April 25 On May 7, India launched retaliatory strikes on terror camps in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, during which multiple airports near the border, including Srinagar, were shut down. The Srinagar airport which closed on May 7 re-opened for operations on May 13. People outside Shalimar Bagh in Srinagar on June 22. On May 15, as many as 3,387 passengers arrived in 22 flights at Srinagar airport. This included 641 Hajj pilgrims who returned from Saudi Arabia in special flights. In the past week, the airport has also seen an uptick in the number of passengers. About 4000-5000 passengers have been arriving daily. On Sunday, June 22, 4,300 passengers arrived at the airport, almost half of what the airport handled on April 22. Another 4,200 passengers flew out of Srinagar on Sunday. Srinagar Airport Director Javed Anjum told LiveMint that 50 flights operated from the airport on Sunday. 'We used to handle about 19000 passengers daily before Pahalgam attack. This number had come to 2000 passengers post the attack. Yesterday, we handled 8000 passengers, both inbound and outbound," Anjum said. Travel agents with whom LiveMint spoke said the number of people travelling on flights has come down since the Airlines reduced flights and are operating around 50 daily flights to Srinagar compared with over 90 they operated before the attack. 'Since there are less planes operating, the ticket fares have also gone up. As against ₹ 4500 from Delhi to Srinagar the rates today are around ₹ 8000 if you book three days ahead of your journey,' said Soleh, who runs a travel agency in Srinagar. Mushtaq Ahmed Chaya, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Association, said his association sought support for hoteliers in terms of interest waivers on loans for at least six months during a recent meeting with CM Omar Abdullah. "We have also requested for relief on electricity bills and other expenses. The business is badly hit and occupancies are almost zero," he said. Many hotels in Kashmir have been offering discounts to lure tourists. In Gulmarg, a hill station in the north of Srinagar, a four-star hotels that usually charge ₹ 15,000 per night has cut its rates in half. There are 82 hotels in Gulmarg, including the five-star Khyber Resort, a few four-star properties, and the rest are three-star hotels. Last month, representatives from airlines and the hospitality industry asked the government for incentives to revive tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, which suffered badly after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Air India have requested the government to waive the user development and aviation security fees at the Srinagar airport for a year so that they could offer cheaper tickets to passengers travelling to Kashmir. At present, the airport charges a user development fee of ₹ 1,050 and an aviation security fee of ₹ 200 per traveller. These charges are included in air ticket prices. As more tourists visit Kashmir, things are expected to improve with the beginning of the Amarnath Yatra next month. But as Ahmad says, it is 'not like before, but better than nothing' The annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave in Pahalgam commences from July 3. Not like before, but better than nothing. 'The season will be over by July end. We won't be witnessing the pre-April tourism at least this year again. But we are still hoping for things to improve with Amarnath Yatra on the cards," he said.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Experience the Magic of Goa's Monsoon: Wellness, Nature, and Culture Await, ET TravelWorld
Advt By , ETTravelWorld Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETTravelWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETTravelWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa , has unveiled its seasonal campaign, #GlowOnArrival, to reposition Goa as a restorative monsoon destination focused on wellness, culture, and nature. The initiative is part of a broader effort to promote regenerative travel and draw attention to Goa's off-season campaign highlights the distinct appeal of Goa during the rains, when the state's green landscapes and overcast skies provide a serene backdrop for reflection and exploration. Experiences being promoted include heritage treks, forest walks, wellness and Ayurvedic therapies, and locally hosted homestays designed to foster slow, mindful travel.'This campaign is an invitation to rediscover Goa during its most magical season,' said Kedar Naik, Director of Tourism, Government of Goa. 'Monsoon in Goa is not just about scenic beauty but about reconnecting with nature, embracing wellness, and experiencing the rich cultural warmth of our land. We welcome travellers to slow down, breathe, and leave with a glow that only Goa can offer.'To maintain engagement over the coming months, Goa Tourism has planned a series of thematic promotions that run from June to September. The line-up includes local festivals such as Sao Joao and Chikhal Kalo in June; traditional monsoon culinary experiences in July; eco-adventures including plantation trails and treks in August; and heritage drives, waterfall visits and museum tours coinciding with World Tourism Day in campaign will be rolled out across digital platforms and social media to reach both domestic and international travellers. By showcasing a slower, more immersive side of the state, the government aims to shift perceptions around the monsoon season and establish Goa as a rejuvenating travel alternative.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- The Hindu
Seeking sponsorship to meet ‘Saaral Thiruvizhaa' expenses draws flak; Organise it with what you are given, says former MLA
The district administration's plan to organise the week-long 'Saaral Thiruvizhaa 2025' celebrations at Courtallam this year with the support of sponsors has drawn flak from a former MLA. As the Department of Tourism, along with district administration, would organise the 'Saaral Thiruvizhaa' every year, cultural troupes from various parts of Tamil Nadu and other States would be invited to perform at 'Kalaivaanar Kalaiyarangam'. Besides organising a few competitions and sports events, the festival would also provide space for the music troupes to perform. Former Tenkasi MLA K. Ravi Arunan says that the number of tourists participating in the events being organised was steadily going down. However, government officials say that similar events being organised in Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Chennai etc. were being conducted with the participation of private sponsors. 'Since we give them due space for promoting their companies and their products, it ensures win-win situation for both and hence there is no harm in getting sponsorship,' says a senior government official.
