Mysuru: Tourism stakeholders and officials of the Tourism Department showcased Mysuru’s heritage, culture and hospitality on World Tourism Day, organising a mini procession ahead of Dasara to attract tourists from across the world and promote the city as a year-round tourism destination.

The celebrations were held at the Mysuru Palace premises on Sunday, followed by a carnival along the Dasara procession route from Mysuru Palace to Highway Circle.

Foreign tourists receive red-carpet welcome

Minister for Energy and Tourism K J George inaugurated the celebrations by welcoming Swiss tourists Patrick and Thomas with roses.

Dasara elephants Mahendra and Prashantha, mounted police personnel, Kodava men and women, mascots Ammu and Gajju, and several folk cultural troupes participated in the procession.

Performances by Veeragaase, Dollu Kunitha, Pooja Kunitha and Chande Vaadana added colour to the event.

Members of the Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association, Mysuru District Travel Vehicles Drivers and Owners Welfare Association, students of Vidya Vikas Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, and students and faculty from the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management of Pooja Bhagavat Memorial Mahajana Education Centre also took part.

Five Mysuru Sarots and an Ambaari double-decker bus operated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) were among the attractions in the carnival.

Tourism investments welcomed

George offered a red-carpet welcome to investors interested in Karnataka’s tourism sector and assured them that the government would work towards easing procedures and providing basic infrastructure facilities.

He highlighted Karnataka’s natural attractions, historical and heritage sites, monuments and UNESCO World Heritage sites as offering considerable scope for tourism investment.

“While Kerala is God’s own Country, Karnataka is land of God’s own people. It is rich with nature’s bounty, historical, heritage sites, monuments including UNESCO world heritage sites. So there is huge scope for investment,” he said.

The minister also called for political parties to work together for the welfare and development of the State.

Stakeholders seek year-round tourism

Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association president C Narayangowda said around 70% of people in Mysuru depend on tourism for their livelihoods.

He urged the Tourism Department to introduce programmes to attract visitors throughout the year instead of relying heavily on Dasara and weekends, when tourist footfall is generally higher.

Former minister and MLA Tanveer Sait suggested developing a tourism circuit covering districts across South Karnataka and promoting Mysuru as part of a wider tourism network. He said such a circuit could encourage visitors to stay longer in Mysuru and benefit businesses and people dependent on tourism.

Sait also suggested extending the daily duration of the Mysuru Palace illumination by at least 30 minutes.

He proposed introducing a tourism passport that would allow visitors to access multiple tourist attractions using a single ticket.

Sait also suggested developing theme parks in districts across the region in partnership with private stakeholders, with land being provided on long-term lease arrangements.

Tourism and Dasara authority proposed

George said he would consider the formation of a Mysuru Tourism and Dasara Pradhikara to bring stakeholders together and strengthen tourism planning.

He also said the proposal for a dedicated Mysuru tourism circuit would be considered.

Tourism Minister’s advisor Dr Santhrupth, MLA Anil Chikkamadu and Karnataka Exhibition Authority chairperson Ayub Khan were among those present.

Mysuru Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikant Reddy, Mysuru City Corporation Commissioner M K Savitha, City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Tourism Department Joint Director Mothilal Krishna Lamaani, Assistant Director of Tourism V M Prabhuswamy, organising committee vice-chairman S J Ashok, and committee members C A Jayashankar and B S Prashanth also participated.

The event was organised jointly by the Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association, Mysuru Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mysuru Tourists’ Guides Association, SKAL International, Federation of Associations and Organisations of Mysuru and Mysuru Travels Association, along with the Tourism Department.

‘Yatri Mitra’ tourism patrol launched

George also launched the ‘Yatri Mitra’ tourism patrol vehicle, donated by GRS Fantasy Park through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.

The vehicle is intended to support tourism-related activities and provide assistance to visitors in the city.

Grand Dasara amid drought

Speaking about the upcoming Dasara celebrations, George said the government was proceeding with a grand festival despite drought conditions.

He said the celebrations were being held to invoke Goddess Sri Chamundeshwari and seek blessings for good rainfall and relief from drought.

“For a state with a Rs 45,000 crore budget, spending about Rs 40 crore for Dasara is not big,” he said.

The minister’s remarks come amid an ongoing debate over the scale of this year’s Dasara celebrations, with some tourism stakeholders supporting the festival’s economic importance while others have raised concerns over expenditure during the drought.