Mysuru: Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has urged the Karnataka government to consider adopting the Centre’s draft tourism policy aimed at improving ease of doing business in the hospitality sector, stating that the state has the potential to become the leading tourism hub of peninsular India.

The minister was speaking after inaugurating the fifth edition of the Mysuru Travel Mart 2026, organised by the Mysuru Travels Association in association with the Central and State tourism departments. The three-day event commenced on Friday at the Jagannath Centre for Arts and Culture in Vijayanagar and aims to promote Karnataka, particularly Mysuru, as a premier tourism destination at the national and international levels.

Centre proposes tourism-friendly policy reforms

Addressing tourism stakeholders, Shekhawat highlighted the importance of policy support in strengthening hospitality infrastructure and attracting investment into the tourism sector.

He said the Centre’s draft tourism policy was prepared after studying tourism policies adopted by various state governments and is designed to encourage business growth and improve investment opportunities.

According to the minister, Karnataka possesses immense tourism potential and can emerge as a major destination if tourism assets are effectively curated and promoted.

He noted that tourism projects are largely conceived and implemented by state governments, while supportive policies can help attract private investment and accelerate infrastructure development.

The minister suggested measures such as single-window clearances, investment incentives for hospitality projects, improved infrastructure, GST relaxations and capital subsidies to encourage greater participation from investors.

Domestic tourism witnessing rapid growth

Shekhawat observed that India’s growing economy is driving a significant increase in domestic tourism, creating new opportunities for states with strong tourism assets.

Referring to the vision of Narendra Modi, he said India should aim to increase inbound foreign tourist arrivals fivefold by 2047.

He pointed out that India currently receives around 2 crore foreign tourist arrivals annually, a figure that reduces to approximately 1 crore when Non-Resident Indians are excluded.

The minister stressed the need for states to develop world-class tourism infrastructure and experiences to attract a larger share of international travellers.

Yaduveer seeks support for heritage and tourism growth

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar highlighted the importance of preserving Mysuru’s rich heritage and protecting Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products associated with the region.

He emphasised the need to safeguard both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including historic temples and traditional cultural assets in and around Mysuru.

The Member of Parliament observed that while attractions such as the Mysore Palace continue to draw large numbers of visitors, the city has yet to fully convert tourist footfall into a significant economic driver for local communities and businesses.

He sought greater support from the Union government to strengthen tourism-linked economic development in the region.

Stakeholders seek infrastructure upgrades

Tourism industry representatives used the occasion to raise several demands aimed at enhancing Mysuru’s tourism ecosystem.

Stakeholders urged the Union Tourism Minister to support the development of a world-class theme park, introduce a single-window tourism pass for visitors, promote the internationally renowned Mysuru Dasara festival globally and expedite the expansion of Mysuru Airport.

Industry representatives said improved air connectivity would significantly boost domestic and international tourist arrivals, generate employment opportunities, strengthen local businesses and increase government revenues.

The event was attended by tourism industry leaders including B S Prashanth, President of the Mysuru Travels Association and FOAM, C A Jayakumar and C Narayana Gowda.

Tourism stakeholders from across India participate

The travel mart has attracted tourism stakeholders from various parts of the country, showcasing Karnataka’s tourism offerings alongside destinations from other states.

Around 100 exhibition stalls have been set up at the event, including nearly 60 representing Karnataka tourism businesses.

Resorts, hotels and travel operators from Mysuru, Kodagu and several other districts are participating, while exhibitors from Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh have also joined the event.

Approximately 250 hosted buyers from across India, including participants from Jammu and Kashmir, are attending the mart to explore tourism opportunities and business collaborations.

Dasara documentary launched for global promotion

Ahead of the upcoming Dasara celebrations, the Tourism Department and tourism stakeholder B S Prashanth unveiled a new promotional documentary titled “Spectacular Mysuru Dasara”.

The five-minute film has been created to promote the festival internationally and showcase Mysuru’s cultural heritage to global audiences.

The documentary has been directed by Ali Ellil, who previously produced the destination film Visit Mysuru. The project was filmed over 14 days using seven cameras and features a script by Siri and Kris Venugopal, with music composed by Aloshi Peter.

In another initiative aimed at maintaining Mysuru’s image as a clean tourism destination, Karnataka Tourism Society founder member and Arjun Tours Managing Director M Ravi donated eco-friendly water bottle disposal units. The units are expected to be installed at around 100 locations across the city.

Focus on sustainable tourism growth

The discussions at Mysuru Travel Mart 2026 underscored the growing emphasis on policy reforms, infrastructure development and heritage conservation as key drivers of tourism growth.

With increasing domestic travel demand and ambitious targets for international tourist arrivals, stakeholders believe Karnataka has a significant opportunity to strengthen its position as one of India’s leading tourism destinations through strategic planning and investment.