Shimoga Tour

Development of Shimoga District as Tourist Destination and Preparation of Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga
Submitted to
Final Report -1-
Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited

Submitted by
Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj
Final Report -2-
CONTROLLED COPY
Report for
Submitted to
Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited

Document Number: Document Status: Date: Document prepared by: Document approved by: No. of copies circulated: 2009/10/MARKET ASSESSMENT/UK/BLORE/241 Revision 2.0 March 22, 2010 Susan Cyriac, Nikhil Issac & Umakanth Girish K. S. 06+01=07
Circulation Copy 01: Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited - 6 Nos. Copy 02: Office Copy - Bangalore Contact Information For further information please contact: Mr. Girish K. S. Vice President - Strategic Consulting Jones Lang LaSalle Property Consultants India Private Limited Level 3, Concorde, UB City, #24, Vittal Mallya Road Bangalore - 560 001 Ph: +91 80 4118 2900, Fax: +91 80 4118 2901 Mobile: +91 99001 54567 E-mail: girish.ks@jllm.co.in
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 8
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 THE ASSIGNMENT ........................................................................................................8 OBJECTIVES, SCOPE OF WORK AND FRAMEWORK .........................................................8 LIMITATIONS TO THE ASSIGNMENT ................................................................................9 DISCLAIMER ................................................................................................................9 TOURISM SCENARIO IN INDIA ......................................................................................10
GENERAL ........................................................................................................................... 10 GDP GROWTH ................................................................................................................... 11 GROWTH OF TOURIST TRAFFIC ........................................................................................... 11 EMPLOYMENT GROWTH ...................................................................................................... 12 CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ...................................................... 13 INTERNATIONAL TOURISM RECEIPTS.................................................................................... 13 AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................. 14 NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY ................................................................................................ 15 MAJOR TOURISM CIRCUITS AND DESTINATIONS IN INDIA ....................................................... 16 GENERAL PROFILE ............................................................................................................. 17 LOCATION AND PHYSIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 18 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY ................................................................................................... 19 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE .................................................................. 20 OVERVIEW OF TOURISM SCENARIO ..................................................................................... 21 RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION.................................................... 24
TOURISM SCENARIO AT NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL............................................... 10

2.1
2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.1.6 2.1.7 2.1.8 2.1.9
2.2
TOURISM SCENARIO IN KARNATAKA ............................................................................17
2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 2.2.6
TOURISM SCENARIO AT SHIMOGA............................................................................ 26

3.1 PROFILE OF SHIMOGA DISTRICT .................................................................................26
GENERAL PROFILE ............................................................................................................. 26 LOCATION AND REGIONAL SETTING ..................................................................................... 27 PHYSICAL FEATURES .......................................................................................................... 27 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY ................................................................................................... 28 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE .................................................................. 29 EDUCATION ........................................................................................................................ 30 3.1.1 3.1.2 3.1.3 3.1.4 3.1.5 3.1.6
3.2 TOURISM SCENARIO IN SHIMOGA ................................................................................31 3.3 MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ..................................................................................32 3.4 TOURIST ARRIVALS ....................................................................................................87 3.5 TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE .......................................................................................89 3.6 ESTIMATION OF NUMBER OF VISITORS ........................................................................89 3.7 COMPLETED, ONGOING AND PROPOSED TORISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SHIMOGA DISTRICT .............................................................................................................................98
PERCEPTION ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATIONS ....................................................... 102

4.1 4.2 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................102 SURVEY FINDINGS ...................................................................................................102
PERCEPTION ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATIONS .................................................................... 102 ORIGIN OF TOURISTS ........................................................................................................ 103 PURPOSE OF VISIT ........................................................................................................... 103 TOUR PACKAGE ............................................................................................................... 104 MODE OF TRANSPORT ...................................................................................................... 104 AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY .............................................................................................. 104 FREQUENCY OF VISIT ....................................................................................................... 105 TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION ............................................................................................... 105 PROBLEMS FACED DURING STAY....................................................................................... 106 PROBLEMS FACED DURING STAY- DOMESTIC TOURIST ....................................................... 106 SUGGESTIONS ON IMPROVING THE TOURIST DESTINATION.................................................. 106
4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.2.6 4.2.7 4.2.8 4.2.9 4.2.10 4.2.11
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CASE STUDIES ON TOURISM FOCUSED DEVELOPMENTS.......................................... 108

5.1 5.2 PREAMBLE ..............................................................................................................108 INTEGRATED TOURISM DESTINATION ........................................................................108
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 108 BRIEF HISTORY OF AMUSEMENT PARKS ............................................................................ 109 MODERN AMUSEMENT PARKS ........................................................................................... 109 RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS .................................................................................................. 110 CUISINE ........................................................................................................................... 112 ADMISSION PRICES AND ADMISSION POLICIES ................................................................... 112 GENTING HIGHLANDS, MALAYSIA ...................................................................................... 113 DISNEYLAND, FLORIDA, USA ............................................................................................ 115 SENTOSA, SINGAPORE...................................................................................................... 117 WILD WADI WATER PARK, DUBAI, UAE............................................................................. 119 WET-N-WILD WATER PARK - ORLANDO, FLORIDA .............................................................. 120 KISHKINTA, CHENNAI, INDIA .............................................................................................. 121 ADVENTURE TOURISM IN LADAKH ...................................................................................... 122 ADVENTURE TOURISM IN PAURI......................................................................................... 124 THENMALA ECO TOURISM ................................................................................................. 125 ADVENTURE TOURISM - THEKKADY.................................................................................... 127 ADVENTURE TOURISM - MUNNAR ...................................................................................... 129 ADVENTURE TOURISM - ASSAM ......................................................................................... 130 ADVENTURE TOURISM - RISHIKESH ................................................................................... 131
5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3 5.2.4 5.2.5 5.2.6
5.3
INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES ................................................................................113
5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.3.4 5.3.5 5.3.6
5.4
THEME BASED TOURISM DESTINATION ......................................................................122
5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5 5.4.6 5.4.7
5.5
RELEVANCE OF CASE STUDIES IN SHIMOGA CONTEXT ...............................................132
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN FOR SHIMOGA DISTRICT ............................ 136

6.1 6.2 6.3 FRAMEWORK FOR THE TOURISM MASTER PLAN .........................................................136 SHARED VISION BY THE STAKEHOLDERS ...................................................................136 MASTER PLAN STRATEGY ........................................................................................139
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................. 139 PROPOSED ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................... 141 FOCUS AND KEY FACTORS ................................................................................................ 142 STRATEGIC ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................................ 143 STRATEGY COMPONENTS ................................................................................................. 144
6.3.1 6.3.2 6.3.3 6.3.4 6.3.5
6.4 6.5
PHASING PLAN ........................................................................................................146 SHORT-TERM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN .......................................................................148
6.5.1 IMPLEMENTATION OF ONGOING TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS................................... 148 6.5.2 DEVELOP TOURISM TRIANGLE OF SHIMOGA DISTRICT COVERING GAJANUR (SHIMOGA)AGUMBE-JOG .................................................................................................................................. 150 6.5.3 DEVELOPMENT OF OFF-CIRCUIT SINGLE DESTINATIONS, HERITAGE CIRCUIT AND LAST-MILE CONNECTIVITY................................................................................................................................. 152 6.5.4 IMPLEMENTATION OF IDENTIFIED PROJECTS AT DIFFERENT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ............. 154 6.5.5 IMPLEMENTATION OF SHORT-TERM INTUITIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEASURES ....................... 156 6.5.6 DEVELOP PROPOSED PACKAGE TO INCREASE DURATION OF STAY OF TOURISTS................. 156 6.5.7 IDENTIFICATION OF LAND AND MASTER PLAN FOR PROPOSED DESTINATION ........................ 157 6.5.8 INITIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSED INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING & CAPACITY BUILDING MEASURES - LONG-TERM ................................................................................................. 157
6.6 6.7
INVESTMENT ESTIMATE FOR IMPLEMENTING SHORT-TERM ACTION PLAN ....................157 ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION .........................................................................158
KEY ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS ................................................................................... 158 IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW....................................................................... 159 ATTRACTING CAPITAL INVESTMENT ................................................................................... 160 ENHANCING AND EXPANDING THE TOURISM PRODUCT ....................................................... 161 IMPROVING SERVICE STANDARDS ..................................................................................... 162 IMPROVING ACCESS TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................... 163 IMPROVING SECURITY....................................................................................................... 163 CREATING GREATER MARKET AWARENESS ....................................................................... 164 STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS AND ECONOMIC LINKAGES ................................................. 165
6.7.1 6.7.2 6.7.3 6.7.4 6.7.5 6.7.6 6.7.7 6.7.8 6.7.9
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6.8
ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................166

POLICY ISSUES................................................................................................................. 166 RESPONSIBILITY FOR TOURISM PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................... 167
6.8.1 6.8.2
ANNEXURE .......................................................................................................... 168

7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 ANNEXURE - 1: LIST OF ASI MONUMENTS .................................................................168 ANNEXURE - 2: PHOTO GALLERY OF SHIMOGA ..........................................................169 ANNEXURE - 3: LIST OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTED AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS ...174 ANNEXURE - 4: PHOTO GALLERY OF OF STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION ....................180 ANNEXURE - 5: GUIDELINES OF SCHEME FOR PRODUCT/INFRASTRCUTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR DESTINATIONS AND CIRCUITS ......................................................................................180
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1: Growth in International Tourist Arrivals to India ............................................................. 11 Table 2.2: Share of Top Ten Countries with India in International Tourism Receipts (Year 2007) 13 Table 2.3: Overall Growth in India Tourism Receipts...................................................................... 14 Table 2.4: Overall Growth of Tourist Inflow in Karnataka................................................................ 22 Table 2.5: Special Tourism Areas in Karnataka .............................................................................. 23 Table 2.6: Funds Allocated for Conservation, Preservation & Maintenance of ASI Protected Monuments and revenue Earned in Karnataka ............................................................................... 24 Table 2.7: Agencies Responsible for Project Implementation in Karnataka ................................... 24 Table 3.1: Snapshot of Shimoga District ......................................................................................... 27 Table 3.2: Shortest Distances by Road between different Taluks within Shimoga District ............ 28 Table 3.3: Distances by Road between Existing Airports and Important Urban Centers in and around Shimoga District................................................................................................................... 29 Table 3.4: Prominent Temples in Shimoga District ......................................................................... 31 Table 3.5: Taluk-wise List of Major Tourist Attractions in Shimoga District .................................... 33 Table 3.6: Geographical Details of Each Taluk in Shimoga District................................................ 36 Table 3.7: Catgorization of Tourist Attraction in Shimoga District................................................... 36 Table 3.8: Tourist Attraction in Shimoga Taluk................................................................................ 37 Table 3.9: Snapshot of Shimoga, Shimoga Taluk ........................................................................... 37 Table 3.10: Snapshot of Sakrebylu, Shimoga Taluk ....................................................................... 39 Table 3.11: Snapshot of Taverekoppa Lion Safari, Shimoga Taluk................................................ 40 Table 3.12: Snapshot of Gajanur Dam, Shimoga Taluk.................................................................. 41 Table 3.13: Snapshot of Kudali, Shimoga Taluk ............................................................................. 42 Table 3.14: Tourist attraction in Shikaripura Taluk .......................................................................... 44 Table 3.15: Snapshot of Shikaripura, Shikaripura Taluk ................................................................. 46 Table 3.16: Snapshot of Belligave, Shikaripura Taluk..................................................................... 47 Table 3.17: Snapshot of Uduthadi, Shikaripura Taluk..................................................................... 49 Table 3.18: Snapshot of Talagunda, Shikaripura Taluk .................................................................. 49 Table 3.19: Tourist attraction in Bhadravathi Taluk......................................................................... 51 Table 3.20: Snapshot of Bhadravathi, Bhadravathi Taluk ............................................................... 51 Table 3.21: Tourist Attraction in Hosanagara Taluk ........................................................................ 53 Table 3.22: Snapshot of Nagara, Hosanagara Taluk ...................................................................... 54 Table 3.23: Snapshot of Kodachadri, Hosanagara Taluk................................................................ 55 Table 3.24: Snapshot of Hidduman Falls, Hosanagara Taluk......................................................... 56 Table 3.25: Snapshot of Humcha, Hosanagara Taluk .................................................................... 58 Table 3.26: Tourist Attraction in Thirthahalli Taluk .......................................................................... 59 Table 3.27: Snapshot of Thirthahalli, Thirthahalli Taluk .................................................................. 60 Table 3.28: Snapshot of Barkana Falls, Thirthahalli Taluk.............................................................. 61 Table 3.29: Snapshot of Kuppali, Thirthahalli Taluk........................................................................ 62 Table 3.30: Snapshot of Kundadri, Thirthahalli Taluk ..................................................................... 63 Table 3.31: Snapshot of Kavaledurga Fort, Thirthahalli Taluk ........................................................ 64 Table 3.32: Snapshot of Agumbe, Thirthahalli Taluk ...................................................................... 66 Table 3.33: Snapshot of Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, Thirthahalli Taluk...................................... 67
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Table 3.34: Snapshot of Ambuteertha, Thirthahalli Taluk ............................................................... 68 Table 3.35: Snapshot of Achakanya Falls, Thirthahalli Taluk ......................................................... 68 Table 3.36: Tourist Attractions in Soraba Taluk .............................................................................. 70 Table 3.37: Snapshot of Chandragutti, Soraba Taluk ..................................................................... 70 Table 3.38: Tourist Attractions in Sagar Taluk ................................................................................ 71 Table 3.39: Snapshot of Gudavi Bird Sanctuary, Sagar Taluk........................................................ 73 Table 3.40: Snapshot of Jog Falls, Sagar Taluk.............................................................................. 74 Table 3.41: Snapshot of Sagar, Sagar Taluk .................................................................................. 76 Table 3.42: Snapshot of Ikkeri, Sagar Taluk ................................................................................... 77 Table 3.43: Snapshot of Sigandhur, Sagar Taluk ........................................................................... 79 Table 3.44: Snapshot of Keladi, Sagar Taluk .................................................................................. 81 Table 3.45: Snapshot of Heggodu, Sagar Taluk ............................................................................. 82 Table 3.46: Snapshot of Honnemaradu, Sagar Taluk ..................................................................... 84 Table 3.47: Snapshot of Honnemaradu, Sagar Taluk ..................................................................... 85 Table 3.48: Snapshot of Linganamakki Dam, Sagar Taluk ............................................................. 86 Table 3.49: Overall Tourist Inflow to Jog Falls ................................................................................ 88 Table 3.50: Key Assumptions Used in Demand Projection of the Tourism Industry in Karnataka. 90 Table 3.51: Projection of Number of Tourists Visiting in Shimoga District...................................... 90 Table 3.52: Projection of Number of Tourists Making Overnight Stay in Shimoga District............. 91 Table 3.53: Daily Demand Projection for Unstarred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District .......................................................................................................................................................... 93 Table 3.54: Daily Demand Projection for Starred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District .. 94 Table 3.55: Demand-Supply-Gap Analysis for Unstarred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District .............................................................................................................................................. 97 Table 3.56: Demand-Supply-Gap Analysis for Starred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District .............................................................................................................................................. 97 Table 3.57: Existing Tourism Development Schemes in Shimoga District ..................................... 99 Table 3.58: Ongoing Tourism Development Projects in Shimoga District ...................................... 99 Table 3.59: Funds Allocated for Conservation, Preservation & Maintenance of ASI Protected Monuments and Revenue Earned in Karnataka............................................................................ 101 Table 4.1: Field Survey Matrix ....................................................................................................... 102 Table 5.1: Tour Itinerary to Thenmala Ecotourism ........................................................................ 126 Table 5.2: Tariff for Various Activities, Munnar.............................................................................. 129 Table 5.3: Tariff for Adventure Activities, Edelweiss Adventures, Munnar ................................... 130 Table 5.4: List of Activities Proposed to be envisaged in Select Tourist Attractions of the Shimoga District ............................................................................................................................................ 133 Table 6.1: SWOT Analysis of the Shimoga District from Tourism Perspective............................. 136 Table 6.2: Shared Vision, Perceptions and Suggestions by the Stakeholders for Proposed Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga District ................................................................................................... 137 Table 6.3: Description of Tourism Destinations............................................................................. 139 Table 6.4: Comparison of Single and Double Tourism Destination Approach for Shimoga District ........................................................................................................................................................ 140 Table 6.5: Comparison of Single and Double Tourism Destination Approach for Shimoga District ........................................................................................................................................................ 142 Table 6.6: Phasing Strategy of the Proposed Tourism Master Plan of Shimoga District.............. 147 Table 6.7: Ongoing Tourism Development Projects in Shimoga District ...................................... 149 Table 6.8: Broad Components of the Proposed Area Development Scheme for Nagara (Bidanoor) Fort and Kavaledurga Fort to be Implemented by District Authority ............................................. 154 Table 6.9: Proposed Short-Term Packaging Strategy under the Proposed Tourism Master Plan of Shimoga District ............................................................................................................................. 156 Table 6.10: Budget Estimate for the Short-Term Implementation Plan under the Proposed Tourism Master Plan of Shimoga District .................................................................................................... 158
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ABBREVIATIONS
ATE ASI T&T CBD CRZ DIC DCR DoT GoI GoK GSDP INR KUIDFC KVWSSB MoT PPP PWD SSI WFPR Air Travel Enterprise Archaeological Survey of India Tour and Travel Central Business District Coastal Area Regulation Zone District Industrial Corporation Development Control Regulation Department of Tourism Government of India Government of Karnataka Gross State Domestic Product Indian Rupees Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board Ministry of Tourism Public Private Partnership Public Works Department Small-Scale Industries Work Force Participation Rate
CONVERSION OF UNITS
1 hectare 1 acre 1 acre 1 sq. km 1 sq. m 1 sq. m 1 meter 1 meter 1 cent 1 acre 2.4711 acres 43560 sq. ft. 4046.9 sq. m 247.11 acres 1.196 sq. yards 10.7584 sq. ft. 1.0936 yards 3.28 ft 435.6 sq. ft 40 guntas
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1
1.1
INTRODUCTION
THE ASSIGNMENT
In the State Budget of the FY 2007-08, the Government of Karnataka (GoK) has identified Shimoga - Thirthahalli- Agumbe - Jog- Mangalore as one of the four Tourism Circuits for developing tourism infrastructure on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis as under: The GoK has identified the Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited (KSIIDC) as the nodal agency for carrying out the project development activities including project conceptualization, market study, project and financial structuring and identification of private developers through a transparent bid process management. In this regard a Steering Committee comprising Secretary, Department of Tourism (DoT), Director, DoT and Managing Director, KSSIDC as members was also constituted to take the necessary steps. Accordingly, the DoT has requested KSSIDC to carry out the study on the preparation of Tourism Master Plan for the development of Shimoga District as a Tourism Destination in the State. Subsequently to the above said request, KSIIDC, on behalf of Department of Tourism, GoK has appointed Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj Property Consultants Private Limited to provide the consulting services for Development of Shimoga District as Tourist Destination and Preparation of Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga.
1.2
OBJECTIVES, SCOPE OF WORK AND FRAMEWORK

Main objective of this assignment is to prepare a Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga towards developing Shimoga District as Tourist Destination. Following is the suggestive scope of work for the assignment: Assessment of tourism sector at national, state and district level Profiling of the Shimoga District with tourism perspective Identification of tourism attractions in the district and their inventory Case studies for identification of potential activities and products in relevance to the tourist attractions of the district Stakeholder consultations to incorporate the shared vision in the Master Plan Preparation of District Tourism Master Plan o Master Plan Strategy o Phasing Plan o Short-Term Implementation Plan o Action Plan for Implementation o Critical Success Factors for Implementation Following chart presents overall framework and approach adopted in the assignment.
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1.3
LIMITATIONS TO THE ASSIGNMENT

Following are some of the limitations to this assignment: The interpretation of the tourist inflow, key trends in hospitality industry, and other key inputs, are based on available documents/literature, rapid market assessment and interactions with limited key players in hospitality sector and travel agents & tourist guides and Government officials etc. Hence, they are indicative of the situations prevalent at the time of conducting the assessment. Facts and figures pertaining to the trends in performance of the hospitality industry are largely based on the market research aided by desktop research, internet search and published statistics by professional bodies and pertinent authorities like Tourism Department of the GoK and GoI.
1.4
DISCLAIMER
In most cases, the Consultants have relied on market information, from public and private sources, and have ensured to the best of its ability the correctness and the validity of the same, by cross checking from various sources. However, markets in India continue to be plagued by misinformation, non-disclosure and fragmentation, wherein almost inevitably some information is withheld in every case. To mitigate this, a structured and scientific approach has been undertaken for the assessment, which ensures, that proposed developments selected for the assignment are promoted by reputed developers and corporate houses, with many of which the Consultants have a professional relationship. Whilst every effort has been made to provide authentic data and analysis, the Consultants or any of its employees are not responsible for any loss, major or minor incurred on the basis of the information and analysis provided and not liable to any damages in any form or shape.
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2
2.1
TOURISM SCENARIO AT NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL

TOURISM SCENARIO IN INDIA
2.1.1 GENERAL
Tourism has been a major social phenomenon of the societies all along. It is motivated by the large natural urge of every human being for new experience, adventure, education and entertainment. The motivation for tourism also includes social, religious and business interests. The importance of the tourism as an instrument for economic development and employment generation, particularly in remote and backward areas has been recognized the world over. It is the largest service industry globally in terms of gross revenue as well as foreign exchange earnings. Tourism is one economic sector in India that has the potential to grow at a higher rate and can ensure consequential development of infrastructure of the destinations. It has the capacity of to capitalize on the success of the country in the service sector and provide sustainable models of growth. It has the potential to stimulate other economic sectors through its backward and forward linkages and cross sector like agriculture, horticulture, poultry, handicraft, transport and construction etc. expenditure on tourism induces the chain of transactions requiring supply of goods and services from the related sectors. The consumption demand, emanating from tourist expenditure, also induces more employment and generates a multiplier effects on the economy. As a result, an additional income and employment are generated through such linkages. Tourism is overwhelmingly an industry of private sector providers and the public sector has a significant role to play in infrastructure areas either directly or through public private partnership mode. Another important feature of the tourism industry, which is of particular significance to India, is its contribution to national integration and preservation of national as well as cultural environment and enrichment of the social. Worldwide in 2009, it is expected to post US$7,340 bn of economic activity (Total Demand) and this is forecast to grow to US$14,382 bn by 2019. Whereas South Asia Travel & Tourism is concerned, the demand is expected to reach US$116.1 bn in 2009, growing to US$323.0 bn in 2019. in the case of India - In 2009, Travel & Tourism is expected to post INR 4,412.7 bn (US$91.7 bn) of economic activity (Total Demand), growing to INR14,601.7 bn (US$266.1 bn) by 2019.
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2.1.2 GDP GROWTH

In 2009, the Travel & Tourism Industry expected to contribute 3.2 percent directly to worldwide GDP. The broader Travel & Tourism Economy should contribute 9.4 percent to world GDP in 2009. Whereas South Asia the Travel & Tourism Industry is expected to post a direct GDP contribution of 2.2% in 2009, while the Travel & Tourism Economy contribution will be 5.9%. India's the Travel &Tourism Industry is expected to contribute directly 2.2% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009 (INR 1,165.4 bn or US$24.2 bn), rising in nominal terms to INR 3,345.3 bn or US$61.0 bn (1.9% of total) by 2019. The T&T Economy contribution (% of total) should remain level at 6.0% (INR 3,239.4 bn or US$67.3 bn) to 6.0% (INR 10,274.1 bn or US$187.3 bn) in this same period.
2.1.3 GROWTH OF TOURIST TRAFFIC

Regarding the growth of tourist traffic, the total number of international arrivals (world) reached a record 699 million, with a growth rate of 7.4 percent in 2000 according to results received by WTO (World tourism organization). WTO has classified the world into 6 regions viz. Africa, Americas, East Asia / Pacific, Europe, Middle East and South Asia. Europe and America is the main tourist receiving regions. Europe accounted for 58 percent of the world tourism traffic and Americas accounted for 18 percent of world tourism traffic in 2000 at the same time South Asia has also has a market share of 0.9 percent in the world tourism traffic. India is the leading destination in the South Asia region with a share of 41.2 percent of tourist arrivals to South Asia in 2000. (The South Asia region comprises India, Iran, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka). The following table presents year-on-year growth of international tourist arrival to India. Table 2.1: Growth in International Tourist Arrivals to India Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 World Tourist Arrivals (In Million) 686.7 686 706.4 693.2 761 802 842 Tourist Arrival to India (Million) 2.65 2.54 2.38 2.73 3.46 3.92 4.45 Share of India in World Tourism 0.38% 0.36% 0.34% 0.39% 0.46% 0.49% 0.52% % Change Over Previous Year 6.70% -4.20% -6.00% 14.30% 26.80% 13.30% 13.50%
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Year 2007 2008
World Tourist Arrivals (In Million) -
Tourist Arrival to India (Million) 5.08 5.37
Share of India in World Tourism -
% Change Over Previous Year 14.30% 5.60%
Source: 'Tourist Arrivals in India, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India
In the case of India, the International tourist arrivals in the year 2000 were 2.65 million with a growth of 6.70 percent over the previous year (1999) and it got decreased to 2.38 million in the year 2002 with negative growth rate of 6.0 percent. This is mainly because of natural climate (Earthquake) which occurred in Gujarat followed by Terrorism threat in India. The above table also indicates that International tourist arrivals in India had a remarkable growth of 26.80 percent in the year 2004 with a tourist inflow of 3.46 million. It is expected that Indian outbound tourist flow is expected to increase at a CAGR of 12.79% over the five-year period spanning 2007-2011. The overall Tourist influx to India is expected to increase at a CAGR of 22.65% between 2007 and 2011. The overall profile tourism sector in India is shown in below table.
2.1.4 EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

Travel & Tourism is human resource intensive, creating quality jobs across the full employment spectrum. In 2009, one in 13.1 jobs will be generated by the Travel & Tourism Economy. The Travel & Tourism Economy accounts for 7.6% of global employment. Today there are 77.3 million Travel & Tourism Direct Industry jobs and 219.8 million jobs in the Travel & Tourism Economy, and these will rise to 97.8 million Travel & Tourism Direct Industry jobs and 275.7 million Travel & Tourism Economy jobs by 2019. South Asia Travel & Tourism Industry is expected to generate directly 15,178,000 jobs in 2009 (2.4% of total employment), while the broader Travel & Tourism Economy will account for 37,173,000 jobs (5.8% of total employment). In the case of India, Travel &Tourism Economy employment is estimated at 31,105,000 jobs in 2009, 6.4% of total employment, or 1 in every 15.6 jobs. By 2019, this should total 40,037,000 jobs, 7.2% of total employment or 1 in every 13.8 jobs. The
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12,875,000 T&T Direct Industry jobs account for 2.7% of total employment in 2007 and are forecast to total 15,952,000 jobs or 2.9% of the total by 2019.
2.1.5 CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE

T&T is a catalyst for construction and manufacturing. In 2009, the public and private sectors combined are expected to spend US$ 1,220.1 bn worldwide -9.4% of total investment, rising to US$ 2,589.7 bn or 9.3% of the total, in 2019. In the case of Government expenditure, Travel & Tourism is both a generator and receiver of government funds. Globally, in 2009, Travel & Tourism is expected to garner US$404.2 bn of government expenditures, or 3.9% of total expenditures. By 2019, government spending on Travel & Tourism should increase to US$709.3 bn - 4.0% of total government expenditure. South Asia Travel & Tourism Capital Investment is estimated to total US$37.4 bn in 2009, or 7.7% of total regional capital investment. Government Travel & Tourism operating expenditures are estimated to total US$2.1 bn in 2009, or a 1.3% share. In the case of India, Travel & Tourism Capital Investment is estimated at INR 1,484.6 bn, US$30.9 bn or 7.3% of total investment in year 2009. By 2019, this should reach INR 5,183.4 bn, US$ 94.5 bn or 7.1% of total. Government Travel & Tourism operating expenditures in India in 2009 are expected to total INR 62.4 bn (US$1.3 bn), or 1.0% of total government spending.
2.1.6 INTERNATIONAL TOURISM RECEIPTS

As per year 2000 the world wide International tourism receipts amounted was 476.4 billion US$ were as the tourism receipt of India was 3.2 billion US$ (year 2000) with a growth rate of 6.67 percent from the pervious year and sectoral share with world wide is of 0.66 percent. But as per year 2007, the tourism receipt of world was 856 billion US$ while share is 1.25 percent to the total world International tourism receipts. The Share of top ten countries with India in international tourism receipts and the overall growth rate of the same are shown in the below tables. Table 2.2: Share of Top Ten Countries with India in International Tourism Receipts (Year 2007) SI. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 USA Spain France Italy China UK Germany Australia Austria Turkey Total of Top 10 Countries India Others Total Rank/Country International Tourism Receipts (In US$ Billion) 96.7 57.8 54.2 42.7 41.9 37.6 36 22.2 18.9 18.5 426.5 10.7 418.8 856 Percentage Share 11.3 6.75 6.33 4.99 4.89 4.39 4.21 2.59 2.21 2.16 49.82 1.25 48.93 100
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Following table presents year-on-year growth trends in India tourism receipts. Table 2.3: Overall Growth in India Tourism Receipts Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Foreign Exchange earning (in US$ Million) 3,198 3,103 4,463 6,170 7,493 8,634 10,729 Percentage Change (%) -0.08 -0.03 0.44 0.38 0.21 0.15 0.24
2.1.7 AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Presently, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) and ASI are the responsible agencies for formulation and implementation of tourism and its related projects activities in India. The MoT is the nodal agency for the formulation of national policies and programmes and for the co-ordination of activities of various Central Government Agencies, State Governments/ UTs and the Private Sector for the development and promotion of tourism in the country. It is headed by the Union Minister for Tourism and the administrative head of the Ministry is the Secretary (Tourism). The Secretary also acts as the Director General (DG) Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism has under its charge a public sector undertaking, the India Tourism Development World Heritage Cultural and Natural Sites in India Corporation and the following autonomous institutions: Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) and National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS). National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and the Institutes of Hotel Management. In the case of ASI, it is under the Ministry of Culture and it is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI. Besides it regulate all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
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For the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance the entire country is divided into 24 Circles. The organization has a large work force of trained archaeologists, conservators, epigraphist, architects and scientists for conducting archaeological research projects through its Circles, Museums, Excavation Branches, Prehistory Branch, Epigraphy Branches, Science Branch, Horticulture Branch, Building Survey Project, Temple Survey Projects and Underwater Archaeology Wing. The map showing the existing heritage sites of India are shown above.
2.1.8 NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY

Tourism policy was announced for the first time in Nov. 1982. The measures suggested in the policy included Granting export industry status to tourism, adopting a selective approach for developing tourism circuits; Inviting private sector participation; and Utilization of national heritage for attracting tourists. The policy recognized the importance of international tourism in earning foreign exchange and accorded high priority to its development. The policy recognized that facilities provided are minimal for the large number of domestic tourists who travel on pilgrimage or as tourists for other motivations and the need to substantially improve and expand facilities for domestic tourists. A national action plan for tourism was drawn up in May 1992. The objectives of the action plan Included. Socio economic development of areas, Increasing employment opportunities, Developing domestic tourism especially for the budget category, Preservation of national heritage and environment, Development of international tourism and optimization of foreign exchange earnings, Diversification of tourism product and Increase in Indias share in world tourism. The strategies for achieving the objectives outlined Improvement of tourism infrastructure, Developing areas on a selective basis for integrated growth along with marketing of destinations to ensure optimal use of existing infrastructure, Restructuring and strengthening the institutions for development of human resources and Evolving a suitable policy for increasing foreign tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings. Tourism was declared as a priority sector for foreign investment in July 1991.A new national tourism policy has been drafted to keep pace with the developments taking place around the world and under consideration of the Government of India. The draft tourism policy includes provisions like facilitating the development of a dynamic private sector in tourism, promoting eco-tourism and rural tourism, facilitating domestic tourism by promoting amenities and facilities for budget tourist, giving greater stress to development of pilgrimage centers and integrated development of identified tourist destinations with the involvement of all the infrastructural departments, states and the private sector. The salient features of the draft tourism policy are as follows: Providing for peoples participation in the development of tourism and in sharing the benefits of tourism Facilitating the development of a dynamic private sector in tourism industry. Coordinating the efforts of different government departments and agencies in making India a tourist friendly country and in providing the required infrastructure. Facilitating domestic tourism by promoting amenities and facilities for budget tourists Integrated development of identified tourist destinations with the involvement of all the infrastructural departments/State Governments and the private sector.
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Development of tourism in the North East, Himalayan region, Jammu & Kashmir and the islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, as part of an overall strategy of economic development of the regions. Enhancing outlay for infrastructure Enacting suitable legislation on travel trade / tourist police for protection and security of Tourists Liberalization of the visa regime Uniformity and rationalization in taxation structure Focused and cost effective marketing strategy
2.1.9 MAJOR TOURISM CIRCUITS AND DESTINATIONS IN INDIA

India is accessible from all four directions - north, east, south and west. Each of the four gateways has its own history. Adjacent figure show the major tourist destination in India and the same for Karnataka. Northern Circuit: Delhi, the capital city, is steeped in history. It combines the grandeur of Mughal architecture of Old Delhi with the formal splendor of New Delhi, built in the early 20th century. Along with Jaipur and Agra, Delhi forms the Golden Triangle. Agra is home to the Taj Mahal, a world famous monument while Jaipur offers the visitor a chance to experience royalty at its luxury hotels which were palaces of the local rulers. Western Circuit: Mumbai is the commercial capital of the country. It is also a major international airport and harbor. The British influence is evident from the architecture of the Gateway of India, Bombay high court, Old Secretariat, University buildings and Victoria Terminus. Pune, the capital of the Marathas during the reign of the warrior king Shivaji, is 163 km from Mumbai. Aurangabad, the main stopover before visiting the world heritage sites, Ajanta and Ellora is 400 km from Mumbai. The sculptures of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths found in the 34 caves at Ellora date back to over a 1000 years while the ones at Ajanta date back to the fifth century. Southern Circuit: The southern gateway to the country, Chennai, is the symbol of Dravidian culture. It is the starting point to the temple towns of Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Tanjore, Tiruchirapalli, and Madurai. The French style of coastal town of Pondicherry lies to the south of Chennai. Kerala, with its beautiful coconut beaches lies on the western coast. Kanyakumari, a popular pilgrimage town is the southern tip of country, where one can watch the sun set and moon rise at the same time. Eastern Circuit: Kolkata, listed among the worlds largest cities, came into being as a British trading post and later capital of British Empire in India during the 17th century. The Indian museum, the Victoria memorial, the botanical gardens and Dakshineshwars kali temple are famous landmarks in the city. Northwards of Kolkata, is the hill station of Darjeeling, which offers spectacular views of Kanchenjunga peak (8586 metres). The
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State of Orissa, on the eastern coast has a rich heritage of classical dance, music, silverware, handicrafts and sculpture and its own Golden Triangle comprising the three temple towns of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konarak. Puri is counted among the four holiest cities in India and famous for the 12th century Jagannath temple. Konarak features in the circuit for its Sun temple, an architectural masterpiece. The most popular destinations in India for foreign tourists have been the golden triangle of Delhi- Jaipur-Agra, Goa, Rajasthan, and very recently, Kerala. The National Geographic has rated Kerala among the 50 must see destinations of a lifetime. As per the survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism, the most visited destinations in India by foreign tourists include Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Agra, U.P, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata, West Bengal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Varanasi, U.P, Bangalore, Karnataka, Panjim, Goa, Udaipur, Rajasthan, Pune, Maharashtra, Mysore, Karnataka, Ajmer, Rajasthan, Goa, Secunderabad, A.P, Cochin, Kerala, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh and Ahmedabad, Gujarat
2.2
TOURISM SCENARIO IN KARNATAKA
2.2.1 GENERAL PROFILE

Karnataka is bounded by Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. According to the 2001 census, the total population of Karnataka is 52,850,562 out of which 33.98 percent constitutes urban population and the population density is 275.6 per sq. km. At the same time the state covers an area of about 191,791 sq. km, which constitutes about 5.83 percent of the total geographical area of the Nation. Karnataka comprises of 29 districts and it is the eighth largest state by area, the ninth largest by population. With respect to tourism the State by virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous spots of interest for tourists. There is an array of ancient sculptured temples, modern cities, scenic hill ranges, unexplored forests and endless beaches. Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India. Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monuments are yet to receive protection. Prominent among them is Mysore Palace at Mysore which is one of the most visited monuments in India. The districts of the Western Ghats and the southern districts of the state have popular ecotourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi and the monuments of Pattadakal are on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The cave temples at Badami and the rock-cut temples at Aihole representing the Badami Chalukyan style of architecture are also popular tourist destinations. The Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebidu, which were built with Chloritic Schist (Soap Stone) are proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture. The monolith of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola is the tallest sculpted monolith in the world, attracting tens of thousands of pilgrims during the Mahamastakabhisheka festival. In addition to it the waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must-see places and among the "1001 Natural Wonders of the World. Jog Falls is India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls among other popular waterfalls. Several popular beaches dot the coastline including Murudeshwara, Gokarna and Karwar. In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi
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Krishna Temple, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala and Sharadamba Temple at Sringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayats, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. The Jain faith had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important center. Recently Karnataka has emerged as a hot spot for health care tourism. Karnataka has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services have caused the health care industry to grow by 30 percent during 2004-05. Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8,000 health tourists every year.
2.2.2 LOCATION AND PHYSIOGRAPHY

Karnataka is situated on a tableland where the Western and Eastern Ghat ranges converge into the Nilgiri hill complex and it is confined roughly within 11.5 North and 18.5 North latitudes and 74 East and 78.5 East longitude. Physiographically, Karnataka State forms part of two well-defined macro regions of Indian Union; the Deacon Plateau and the Coastal plains and Islands. The State has four physiographic regions: Northern Karnataka Plateau: It comprises of the districts of Belgaum, Bidar, Bijapur and Gulbarga and is largely composed of the Deacon Trap. It represents a monotonous, treeless extensive plateau landscape with a general elevation of 300 to 600 metres from the mean sea level. However the river plains of the Krishna, the Bhima, the Ghataprabha and the Malaprabha with the intervening watersheds, the step like landscapes, lateritic scarpments, residual hills and ridges break the monotony of this extensive plateau. The general slope is towards the east. This region is largely covered with rich black cotton soil. Central Karnataka Plateau: It covers the districts of Bellary, Chikamagalur, Chitradurga, Dharwad, Raichur and Shimoga. The region represents the transitional surface between the Northern Karnataka Plateau of Deacon Trap and southern Karnataka Plateau with relatively higher surface. By and large, this region represents the area of Tungabhadra basin. The general elevation varies between 450 and 700 metres. The general slope of this region is towards the east. Southern Karnataka Plateau: It covers the districts of Bangalore, Bangalore Rural, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysore and Tumkur. This region largely covers the area of the Cauvery river basin lying in Karnataka. It is bounded by 600 metres contour and is characterized by a higher degree of slope. In the west and south, it is enclosed by the ranges of Western Ghats and the northern part is an interrupted but clearly identifiable high plateau. In the East, the valleys of the Cauvery and its tributaries open out to form undulating plains. The general elevation of the region varies from 600 to 900 metres. However, residual heights of 1,500 to 1,750 metres are found in the Biligiriranga hills of Mysore district and the Brahmagiri range of Kodagu district. Karnataka Coastal Region: This extends between the Western Ghats, edge of the Karnataka Plateau in the east and the Arabian Sea in the West, covers Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts. This region is traversed by several ridges and spurs of Western Ghats. It has difficult terrain full of rivers, creeks, water falls, peaks and ranges of hills. The coastal region consists of two broad physical units, the plains and the Western Ghats. The Coastal plains, represent a narrow stretch of estuarine and marine plains. The abrupt rise at the eastern flanks forms the Western Ghats. The northern parts of the Ghats are of lower elevation (450-600 metres) as compared to Southern parts (900 to 1,500 metres). The Coastal belt with an average width of 50 to 80 km covers a distance of about 267 km. from north to south.
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2.2.3 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

Road: The total Road length in the State is 142,754 km which covers an area of 191,791 sq. km and caters to a population of 50 million. The total length of National Highways (NH) and the State Highways (SH) in Karnataka is 3,394 km and 11,288 km respectively. A road length of 748 km is proposed to be covered by Golden quadrilateral project. Out of the total 27066 inhabited villages in Karnataka, about 60 percent have All Weather roads, 23 percent Fair Weather Roads, 16 percent Katcha and nonmotorable roads and the rest around 1 percent are not connected by any roads.
Road Connectivity and Network Map of Karnataka
Rail Network: The rail network in Karnataka is 3,270 km- with broad gauge covering an area of 2,706 and covering 564 km by metre gauge. Most of the cities are well connected by rail except for the coastal belt and the Hilly District of Mercara. As per Pink Book 2002-2003, there are around 22 ongoing railway in various parts of Karnataka being undertaken by the Railway authority. Some of them are Whitefield-Kuppam, Bangalore-Kengeri with electrification, YeshwantpurTumkur, Hospet-Guntakal, Bangalore-Hubli-ShimogaTalguppa, Arsikere-HassanMangalore, Mysore Hassan Solapur-Gadag, Kottur-Harihar, Hassan-Bangalore via Shravanabelagola, GulgargaBidar etc. The total estimated Rail Connectivity and Network Map of Karanataka amount for the project works out at around INR 500 million. Ports: Karnataka has two major ports at Mangalore and at Karwar. As per the recent budget 2002-2003, an amount of INR 65.6 million (plan) was allocated for development of ports as against INR 75 million in the previous year. These ports are Karwar, Honnavar, Coondapur, Belekeri, Tadri, Bhatkal, Malpe, Hangarkatta, Mangalore and Padubidri. Airports: Karnataka has only one major Airport at Bangalore. Mangalore has an Airport, whereas airstrips are available at various other district headquarters, which include Belgaum, Hubli, Mysore, Bellary, Kolar, Hassan, Davanagere, Tornagullu, Mangalore, Wadi, Gulbarga. Fresh airstrips have been planned to come up at Bijapur, Raichur, Karwar, Shimoga and Kodagu.
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Especially Bangalore is an important destination for commercial as it is called as Silicon Valley of India and acts as transit point for other tourist destination in the State. Presently Bangalore airport which is also known as HAL Airport or Hindustan Airport is the fourth busiest airport in India. It handled an estimated 7.5 million passengers a year as of 2006 and an average of at least 300 flights (take-offs and landings) per day, it is also expected that the estimated traffic flows will be 6.7 million in the new Bangalore International Airport which has shortly commenced. Subsequently, the above figure is expected to climb to 8.5 million passengers for the year 2010. Presently the existing HAL airport earning was estimated to be INR 1.0 to 1.5 billion in landing and aircraft parking fees from scheduled airlines. Delhi-Mumbai sector tops the traffic chart, followed by Bangalore-Mumbai and Bangalore-Delhi sectors.
Map Showing Existing and Proposed Airports
2.2.4 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

Karnataka is predominantly rural and agrarian and about 76 percent of its population lives in rural areas while about 71 percent of its working force is engaged in agricultural and allied activities which generate 49 percent of the state income Karnataka Population: 52.73 million Urban Population 33.98 percent Rural Population 66.01 percent Urbanization rate (2001): 30.91 percent Karnataka economy is one of the leading economies among all the States in the country in terms of economic development and It is the eighth largest State in terms of geographical area (192,000 km) and ninth largest by population. Karnataka, which had an estimated GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about Rs. 2152.82 billion ($ 51.25 billion) in the 2007-2008 fiscal year, is one of the more economically progressive states in India. The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 7% for the year 2007-2008. Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2004-05 was 5.2%. Karnataka was the fastest growing state over the past decade in terms of GDP and per capita GDP. With GDP growth of 56.2% and per capita GDP growth of 43.9%, Karnataka now has the sixth highest per-capita GDP of all states. Till September 2006 Karnataka received a Foreign Direct Investment of Rs. 78.097 billion ($ 1.7255 billion) for the fiscal year 2006-07, placing it third among the states of India. At the end of 2004, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 4.94% compared to the national rate of 5.99%. For the fiscal year 2006-07, the inflation rate in Karnataka was 4.4%, compared to the national average of 4.7%. As of 2004-05, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 17%, less than the national ratio of 27.5%. Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities. A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state's total area, is cultivated. Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated. Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Telephone Industries, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Hindustan Machine Tools, which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centers, such as Indian Space Research Organization, Central
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Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery located in Mangalore. Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). As of 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating out of Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India's biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro are also headquartered in the state. Exports from these firms exceeded Rs. 50,000 crores ($12.5 billion) in 2006-07, accounting for nearly 38% of all IT exports from India. All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India. Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here. The state also accounts for 75% of India's floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.
2.2.5 OVERVIEW OF TOURISM SCENARIO

As stated earlier in the above section that Karnataka is situated in the southern part of India and the province of the same spreads over the Deccan Plateau. It is also the eighth largest state in India in both in terms of area and population and it is also formerly known as Mysore. The topography of Karnataka is largely a reflection of the geology of the state. The Sahyadris are covered with evergreen forests. They drop abruptly towards the Arabian Sea, thus forming a natural barrier between the plateau and the coastal regions. There are four Ghats in Karnataka namely Subrahmanya Ghat, the Charmadi Ghat, the Shiradi Ghat, and the famous Agumbe Ghat which provide access to the coast. The Western Ghats slope gently towards the Bay of Bengal. Karnataka hold many attractions in terms of tourist interest such as wildlife sanctuaries, Hill stations, beaches, plantations, historical monuments & monolithic statue and water falls. The details pertaining to the same are mentioned in below. The wild life sanctuaries at Bandipur, Nagarhole, Dandeli, and Ranganathittu Bird's Sanctuary. 5 Km. from Srirangapatna which is itself a well known tourist center, hill stations like Nandi Hills and Kemmannagundi and Mercara, beach resorts like Karwar, Ullal, Malpe and Maravanthe, the world famous Brindavan Gardens at Krishnarajasagara, the monolithic statue of Gommateshwara at Sharavanabelagola, Gol Gumbaz with its whispering gallery at Bijapur, the Jog falls and other water falls at Shiva Samudram, Magod, Unchelli or Lushington near Siddapur, Lalguli at Yallapur and other places indicate the variety and richness of the attractions that Karnataka State holds out to the visitors There are many places of historic and religious importance. The great Acharyas, Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa, preached in this region. Great reformers like Sri Basaveshwara, mathematicians like Baskaracharaya, commentators like Sayana, saint poets like Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa, great writers like Pampa, Harihara and Kumara Vyasa have all enriched the heritage of Karnataka. Trend in Tourist Arrival: The Karnataka State currently ranks as the 4th most popular destination in the country. Around 33,746,454 domestic tourist and 564,853 foreigners visited the state during 2006. Past Tourist Arrivals in major tourist destinations in Karnataka: As per the information gathered from Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, Karnataka accounted for 4.95 percent of the total foreign tourists visiting India during the year 2006 and ranked 8th among all the Indian states. In the case of domestic tourist, the overall contribution is 8.14 percent. Mysore accounts for the highest tourist arrivals in the State. The other major tourist destinations are Belur, Halebid, Jog falls, and Bijapur which together attract more than 75 percent of the total tourist arrivals in the State. Jog falls has shown the highest growth in
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the total tourist arrivals in the last few years. A negative growth rate in the recent past has been observed in tourist arrival in the destinations like Bijapur, Badami, Aihole Hospet, Hampi (world heritage center), Chitradurga, and Nandi Hills. Barring few places like Shravanabelagola, Bijapur, Aihole, Nandi Hills. Whereas the destinations like Mysore, Belur, Halebid attract maximum number of domestic tourists as well as foreigners visiting the State. The overall growth of the above said location which fall under the project are been briefly described in the below section. The overall growth of tourist (Domestic & Foreign) inflow in the State is shown in the table below. Table 2.4: Overall Growth of Tourist Inflow in Karnataka Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008* Foreign 246,862 249,836 229,720 208,000 140,703 59,545 249,908 530,225 545,225 564,853 534,563 620,000 Domestic 11,760,836 11,996,053 15,902,666 18,000,000 14,117,464 8,678,670 11,175,292 27,194,178 30,470,316 33,746,454 37,665,437 27,000,000 Total 12,007,698 12,245,889 16,132,386 18,208,000 14,258,167 8,738,215 11,425,200 27,724,403 31,015,541 34,311,307 38,200,000 27,620,000 Growth Rate (%) -1.98 31.74 12.87 -21.69 -38.71 30.75 142.66 11.87 10.63 11.33 -27.7
Categorization of Existing & Potential Tourism Destinations: The State government has already taken up some tourism projects on priority basis. These projects include development and protection of world heritage centers of Hampi and Pattadakal, Jog development in Shimoga district, development of beaches in coastal Karnataka, and luxurious Palace on Wheel project covering the key places of tourist interest in the state. In addition, GoK is also planning for reactivation and renovation of all the minor airports in the State. The detail pertaining to the same are mentioned in the below section.
Tourist Map of Karnataka
Beside developing interesting and convenient regional or Hub and spoke type tourist destinations, a lot of efforts are also being taken to form theme based circuits like Coastal circuit, Hill circuit, Wildlife circuit, Southern circuit, Northern circuit, Golf circuit, Jain pilgrimage circuit, Temple circuits, Mixed circuits, etc. Presently under the current State Tourism Policy, the government has reclassified the tourist places of Karnataka under category A, B, C, D & E. Apart from the existing and potential tourism area, the government has also identified Special tourism areas, which is presented in the Table below
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Table 2.5: Special Tourism Areas in Karnataka District Bijapur Bidar Chitradurga Hassan Kodagu Mandya Mysore North Canara Shimoga South Canara Bijapur Taluk, Hungund Taluk Bidar Taluk, Basavakalyan Taluk Chitradurga Taluk Hassan taluk, Belur taluk, Channarayapatna taluk, Arakalgud taluk Madikeri taluk, Somawarpet taluk, Virajpet taluk Srirangapatna Taluk Mysore Taluk except Mysore Corporation Limits, Gundlupet Taluk, T. Narasipur Taluk, Kollegal Taluk, Yelandur Taluk One km width of entire coast line from the high tide line Sagar Taluk One km width of entire coast line from the high tide line except the area covered by Mangalore City Corporation limits Area
Development of Tourism Circuits: Based on the availability of the huge variety and diversity in the places of tourist attraction with in the state, an effort has been given to identify and develop tourism circuits based on certain criteria, so as to enable the tourist to extract maximum pleasure. The Criteria for selection of circuits in brief are as follows; Should provide the tourists with an unique experience Multiple source of attractions The entry and exit points should be popular tourism hubs/major connecting cities Well developed infrastructure and good means of accessibility Should possess the carrying capacity and ability to withstand tourist inflow Should not hamper the ecological balance of the region Depending on the nature and the types of tourists the state receives, the identified circuits have been further grouped into following heads: Regional Circuits with Hubs and Spokes: Presently 11 Circuits have been identified by tourism department of Karnataka, with 3 circuits based on Mangalore as a hub, 2 circuits based on Karwar as a hub, 2 circuits based on Mysore as a Hub and the rest based on Udupi, Bijapur, Hampi and Chikamagalur as huts. Theme based Circuits: These circuits have a theme focusing a) Wildlife; b) Temple; c) Jain Pilgrimage; d) Eco Tourism; e) Plantation; f) Spiritual; g) Hill; and h) Coastal. Inter State Circuits: Five interstate circuits covering the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa have been identified. Presently Karnataka Tourism is on the fast track and tourism business has gained momentum. Compared to 2005-06 tourist arrivals to Karnataka have increased by 3.68 percent and 10.75 percent growth in foreign and domestic tourist. For further promotion of tourism in the state, the GoK has identified four tourists circuits; and the details pertaining to the same are briefly explained in below chapter. Regarding infrastructure facilities, GoK has taken initiative to improve and develop connectivity, 6 airports and 22 helipads are being proposed. For the above side proposed development, the GoK has allocate INR 1.48 billion for development of tourism during FY 2007-08 and this will give big boost to the State Tourism.
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2.2.6 RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

At present there are more than 3650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance. These monuments belong to different periods, ranging from the prehistoric period to the colonial period and are located in different geographical settings. They include temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and secular architecture as well as ancient mounds and sites which represent the remains of ancient habitation. Especially in Karnataka there are 508 monuments are conserved, preserved and maintained by ASI. The details of 508 monuments are enclosed in Annexure - 1. At the same time the details pertaining to funds allocation for conservation, preservation and maintenance of centrally protected monuments are shown in the table below. Table 2.6: Funds Allocated for Conservation, Preservation & Maintenance of ASI Protected Monuments and revenue Earned in Karnataka Year 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Fund Allocation (INR in Lakhs) 908.87 1418.77 1479.75 1350.00 Annual Growth Rate (%) -56.10 4.30 (8.77) Revenue (INR in Lakhs) 257.21 257.94 317.89 -Annual Growth Rate (%) -0.28 23.24 NA
In the case of Karnataka, KSDTC is the largest Travels Corporation of the State is a professionally run State government organization. KSDTC got established in the year 1971 and presently holds the mirror for the Karnatakas art and culture and infrastructure facilities in terms of Hospitality sector. KSTDC also conducted tours across the State, taking tourist across the renowned cities and gives an insight to the blend of culture and its growth. Mayura Group of Hotels the premium lodging and restaurants setup and maintained by KSTDC is known for their high standard of service and excellent hospitality. Since tourism is a multi-sector project, agencies need to be identified who will be responsible for the execution of each sub-project. The following statement broadly indicates the sub-project and the executing agency for each sub-project: Table 2.7: Agencies Responsible for Project Implementation in Karnataka Project Components Accommodation Transportation Wayside amenities Wildlife and Adventure Tourism Visitors Induction Centre Landscaping a) At wildlife sanctuaries b) Flood lighting and Signage Archaeology Forest Dept Department of Tourism ASI Forest Dept DoT, Private Operators, ULB ASI Department Responsible Department of Tourism Department of Tourism Department of Tourism Department of Tourism Department of Tourism Executing Agency KSTDC, Private Sector DoT, KSTDC, ITDC, Private Operators KSTDC, DoT DoT, Private Sector KSTDC, DoT
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Telecommunication Roads a) NH & SH b) Internal Roads Water & Sanitation Power Human Resource Development Marketing Strategy Project monitoring and evaluation
Dept. of Telecommunication
Dept. of Telecommunication
PWD Municipal Corporation/ Municipality/ Panchayat KVWSSB & PHE MESCOM Department of Tourism Department of Tourism Department of Tourism
PWD Municipal Corporation/ Municipality/ Panchayat KWSSB & PHE MESCOM DoT with the help of language training & other institutes DoT DoT
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3
3.1
TOURISM SCENARIO AT SHIMOGA

PROFILE OF SHIMOGA DISTRICT
3.1.1 GENERAL PROFILE

Shimoga District is a district in the Karnataka state of India and it is alternatively spelt as Shivamogga and it is otherwise called as Rice bowl of the State. A major part of this district lies in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats; a region known for its green forests, plentiful rainfall, beautiful waterfalls and also of being the source of many rivers that flow in Karnataka. Shimoga district is bounded by Haveri District to the northeast, Davanagere District to the east, Chikamagalur District to the southeast, Udupi District to the southwest, and Uttara Kannada to the northwest. Shimoga district ranks 9th in the State in terms of area with a total area of about 8,465 sq. km. Shimoga City is the headquarters of this district. The most popular attraction of this district is the Jog Falls. There are various legends of how the name Shivamogga has evolved. According to one legend, the name Shivamogga is related to the Hindu God Shiva. Shiva-Mukha (Face of Shiva), Shivana-Moogu (Nose of Shiva) or Shivana-Mogge (Flowers to be offered to Shiva) can be the origins of the name "Shivamogga". Another legend indicates that the name Shivamogga is derived from the word Sihi-Moge which means sweet pot. According to this legend, Shivamogga once had the ashram of the sage Durvasa. He used to boil sweet herbs in an earthen pot. Some cowherds, found this pot and after tasting the sweet beverage named this place Sihi-Moge. The history of the Shivamogga region is very much the history of Karnataka itself, considering that all the great kingdoms that came to power here have vied for control of and ruled this land of rich resources. Prior to the beginning of the first millennium, the Shivamogga region formed a part of the Maurya Empire. The Satavahana then came to control in central India and Shivamogga must have formed one of the southern most provinces of the kingdom. After the fall of the Shatavahana Empire around 200 C.E., after a brief interlude of confusion that existed, the area came under the control of the Kadambas of Banavasi around 345 C.E. The Kadambas were the earliest kingdom to give administrative status to Kannada language. Banavasi is just across the border from Shivamogga inside Uttara Kannada district. Later the Kadambas became feudatories of the Badami Chalukyas around 540 C.E. Shivamogga passed into the hands of the Rashtrakutas in the 8th century. It was only under the Kalyani Chalukyas who overthrew the Rashtrakutas did Shivamogga come into prominence in Southern India. Balligavi in Shivamogga district had its greatest and grandest time during there rule. Later in the 12th Century with the weakening of the Kalyani Chalukyas the Hoysalas annexed this area. Shivamogga continued to play an important role in the development of Kannada culture and arts during this time. After the fall of the Hoysalas to the invasion of the Khilji dynasty around 1343 C.E. the entire region came under the Vijayanagar Empire without any bloodshed. The Saluva kings of the Vijayanagar Empire find their roots in this region. After the defeat of Vijayanagar empire in 1565 C.E. in the battle of Tallikota, Shivamogga had one more last surprise in that the local Keladi Nayakas who were originally feudatory of the Vijayanagar empire took control, declared sovereignty and ruled mostly as an independent kingdom for about two centuries, often waging wars with the Mysore Kingdom, the Sultans of Bijapur and finally the Maratha. In 1763 they were finally absorbed into the Kingdom of Mysore and remained a part of it till independence from the British Shimoga district is divided into 2 Sub-divisions and 7 Taluks. The Sagar Sub-division comprises the taluks of Sagar, Shikaripura, Sorab and Hosanagara while the Shivamogga Sub-division comprises the taluks of Shivamogga, Bhadravathi and Thirthahalli.
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This chapter presents a brief profile of Shimoga District in terms of its geographic location, connectivity, physical, demographic and socio-economic characteristics. This profiling is envisaged to understand the overview of the district and it is Influence in tourism sector. Following table provides the district snapshot Table 3.1: Snapshot of Shimoga District Parameters Administrative Headquarters District Population (2001) District Area (sq. km) Urban Population of the District (2001) Rural Population of the District (2001) Major Urban Centers Significance and Importance of the District Shimoga 1,642,545 8,465 571,010 ((34.76%) 1,069,132 (65.24%) Shimoga, Sorab, Shikaripur, Sagar, Hosanagara, Bhadravathi and Thirthahalli Significant share in the State in Agriculture produce Marketing center of the district for Paddy, Arecanut, Cotton, Maize and Ragi One of the largest producers of commercial crops in the state Agro, Automobile and Engineering are the major industries Shivamogga district is considered as the heartland of Kannada language and culture. Tourism sector plays an important role in local economic development and contributes a significant share of the States economy also identified as alternative economic growth source for the State and it acts, as a transit point for domestic and foreign tourists. Details
3.1.2 LOCATION AND REGIONAL SETTING

Apart from known Gateway to Malnad, Shimoga district is also called as the Rice Bowl of the Karnataka State. The district has its fame in the state for its rich tradition, education and fine arts. Rivers such as Tungabhadra, Sharavathi, Varada and Kumudavathi inundate the luxuriant greens of the region. Shimoga is more than just a tourist destination as it is bounded by natural sceneries of hills, hillocks, green dal, rivers, dense forests, flora & fauna, forts, temples and historical places. Location of the district within the state is given in the map below.
3.1.3 PHYSICAL FEATURES

Geography: Shimoga lies between the latitudes 13 27' and 14 39' N and between the longitudes 74 38' and 76 04' E at an altitude of 640 metres above the mean sea level. The peak of the hill Kodachadri at an altitude of 1,343 metres above the mean sea level is the highest point in this district. The Western Ghats or Sahyadri range and number of rivers & their tributaries that originate there provide Shimoga with abundant natural beauty. Some of the important rivers are Tungabhadra, Sharavathi, Varada and Kumudavathi. Several lakes, ponds and water bodies make the land very suitable for agriculture. Shimoga district is the origin of the rivers Kali, Gangavathi, Sharavathi and Tadadi. But the two major rivers that flow through this district are Tunga and Bhadra, which meet at a place called Koodli near Shimoga City and flow together as Tungabhadra.
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Climate: Shimoga district being a part of the Malnad region, receives good monsoon rainfall -- the months from June to October being the rainy season. In the years 19011970, the district received an average annual rainfall of 1,813.9 mm with an average of 86 days in the year being rainy days. The average annual temperature of Shimoga District is around 26 C. Geology: The major soil forms found in the Shimoga district are red gravelly clay soil, red clay soil, lateritic gravelly clay soil, lateritic clay soil, medium deep black soil, non-saline and saline alluvo-colluvial soil and brown forest soil. Major minerals found in this district are limestone, white quartz, kaolin, kyanite and manganese.
3.1.4 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

Shimoga district is well connected by road and railway network with the State Capital City Bangalore, other important urban centers and other surrounding districts. Following paragraphs provide an overview of the regional linkages and connectivity. Road Network: Shimoga district has a total road length of 6,632 km, of which about 222 km of road length are under the National Highways (NH) and about 402 km are categorized under State Highways (SH). There are two national highways in the district, namely a) NH-13 which starts from the border of Davangere district, which passes through the cities of Shimoga and Thirthahalli, to the border of Chikamagalur district; and b) NH206, starts from the border of Chikamagalur district, passes through the cities of Bhadravathi, Shimoga and Sagar on to the border Uttara Kannada district. Shimoga district has three State Highways namely a) SH-1 (Padubidri - Maharashtra border), starts from the border Udupi district and passes through the towns of Agumbe, Thirthahalli, Shikaripura in Shimoga district on to the district's border with Haveri; b) SH-26 (Halageri - Hulikal) starts from the district's border with Haveri, which passes through the towns of Ayanur, Arasalu and ends at Hulikal, which is a town near the district's border with Udupi; and c) SH-48 (Kumta - Andhra Pradesh border) starts from the district's border with Uttar Kannada, which passes through the towns of Sorab and Shikaripura on to the district's border with Davangere. The shortest distances by road between different taluks within the Shimoga district are shown in the table below: Table 3.2: Shortest Distances by Road between different Taluks within Shimoga District Taluk Bhadravathi Hosanagar Sagar Shikaripur Shimoga Soraba Thirthahalli 84.9 91.2 72.6 18.8 110.2 77.4 48.0 70.4 66.1 78.2 48.8 69.2 72.4 30.2 71.6 53.8 37.6 89.5 91.4 58.6 101.8 Bhadravathi Hosanagar 84.9 Sagar 91.2 48.0 Shikaripur 72.6 70.4 69.2 Shimoga 18.8 66.1 72.4 53.8 Soraba 110.2 78.2 30.2 37.6 91.4 Thirthahalli 77.4 48.8 71.6 89.4 58.6 101.8
Note: Above distances are in km, between the taluk headquarter towns
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Rail Network: Shimoga district is divided among two distinct railway lines namely broad gauge line and meter gauge line. The broad gauge line starts from the district's border with Chikamagalur and runs through the Bhadravathi station to end at Shimoga station. This is the only broad gauge line in the district and serves only the Bhadravathi Town and Shimoga City. Other areas are still to reap the benefits of rail connectivity. In the case of meter gauge line, the railway line passes through the town of Sagar and ends at Talguppa station, just 12 km from the famous Jog Falls. This line was laid by the British in the year 1938, to serve a dual purpose of transporting wooden logs from Malnad forests and also providing access to the falls. In addition, there is a proposal to convert this line into broad gauge and finally connect it to the Konkan Railway. Air Network: At present, there are no airports in Shimoga district and in the adjoining districts such as Uttar Kannada in the northwest, Haveri in the north, Davanagere in east, Chikamagalur in south and Udupi in southwest. Presently, airports at Bangalore, Mangalore and Hubli are being used by the district population for air connectivity. The distance between the Shimoga City and the existing airports in the State is given in the table below Table 3.3: Distances by Road between Existing Airports and Important Urban Centers in and around Shimoga District District Headquarters Cities Bangalore Shimoga Karavar (Uttar Kannada District) Haveri Davanagere Chikkmagalur Chitradurga Udupi 241 425 341 317 200 210 311 Existing Airport Locations Mangalore 142 229 214 179 113 230 53 Hubli 166 117 63 100 238 65 227
Note: Above distances are in km, between the district headquarter cities and cities having airports
3.1.5 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

Demography: According to 2001 census, the total population of the district was 1,642,545, of which 830,559 (50.56 percent) are male and the rest 811,986 (49.44 percent) are female population. The urban population was 571,010, which was about 34.76 percent of the total population in the district. The literacy rate in the district was recorded as 74.86 percent in which Thirthahalli Taluk had the highest literacy rate of 78.27 percent while Shikaripura Taluk had the lowest literacy rate with 69.59 percent. The district had a favorable sex-ratio of 977 females to 1000 males.
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Economy: Agriculture (including Animal Husbandry) is the major contributor to the economy of Shimoga district. Paddy, arecanut, cotton, maize and ragi are the major crops cultivated in this district. Karnataka is the largest producer of arecanut in India, majority of which is cultivated in the Shimoga district. The farmers from Shimoga are said to be very innovative and have managed to cultivate crops like vanilla and jatropha previously unheard of in India, yielding high monetary benefits. Industries: Agro-based, automobile-based and engineering are the major industries present in Shimoga district. Maximum investment has been made in the Food and Beverages sector followed by Engineering/Mechanical goods sector. To encourage rural industry, rural youth are being imparted training in tailoring, embroidery, motor winding, hand pump repair and other areas. Other rural industries in this district are related to carpentry, blacksmith, leather, pottery, beekeeping, stone cutting, handlooms, agarbathi (incense sticks) and sandalwood carving. The GoK has created the following industrial regions to encourage industrialization of the district: Nidige Industrial Area, Nidige, Bhadravathi Taluk; Mandli-Kallur Industrial Area, Shimoga; Shimoga Industrial Estate, Shimoga; and Kallahalli Industrial Estate, Shimoga. Following are some of the major industries located in Shimoga district: Visweswaraiah Iron and Steel Limited (VISL), Bhadravathi: Started under the able guidance of Sir M Vishweshwaraya, VISL (earlier known as Mysore Iron and Steel plant) has been a pioneer in production of high quality alloy, special steels and pig iron. VISL has an installed capacity of 77,000 MT of alloy and special steels and 205,000 MT of hot metal. This steel plant now belongs to the Steel Authority of India. Mysore Paper Mills Limited (MPM), Bhadravathi: The Mysore Paper Mills Limited is an ISO 14001 Company engaged in the manufacture and marketing of newsprint, writing, printing and packing paper of different varieties and sugar at its plant at Bhadravathi, Shimoga District with production capacity of 75000 MTA (Metric Tonne per Annum) of newsprint, 30000 MTA of writing, printing and packing paper and 2500 TCD (Tonne Crushings per Day) of sugar. Apart from above, there is a sandalwood oil extraction factory and a sugar factory in Shimoga City. Special Economic Zone: Recently Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) had acquired nearly 170 hectares of land at Nidige Village between Shimoga and Bhadravathi, and allocated INR 396 million for infrastructure development. Out of 170 hectares, 100 hectares had been reserved for a sector-specific SEZ namely the Automotive & Auto Components. The overall industrial profile of Shimoga district has been profiled in the next chapter of this report.
3.1.6 EDUCATION
Shimoga district is a major centre for education in the State. A relatively high literacy rate of 74.86 percent is testimony to the fact. Following are some of the prominent education institutions in the district offering education at different levels: Kuvempu University: Kuvempu University is located near the Bhadra River Project (BRP), is the premier institution catering to the needs of higher education in this district. It is named after the renowned Kannada poet and writer, Kuvempu. Apart from Shimoga district, Kuvempu University has jurisdiction over the districts of Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru and Davangere. There are 124 graduation colleges affiliated to the Kuvempu University in addition to four Constituent Colleges, administered by the University. Graduate and postgraduate teaching programmes exist under the faculties
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of Arts, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Science and Technology, and Law. Engineering: There is one engineering college in the Shimoga district i.e. Jawaharlal Nehru National College of Engineering (JNNCE), which is located at Navule, in the outskirts of Shimoga City. Established in 1980 by the National Educational Society, this college is affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum. Polytechnics: There are 7 Polytechnics in the Shimoga District namely, DVS Polytechnic, Government Residential Polytechnic for Women, Government Polytechnic (Sorab), Sahyadri Polytechnic (Thirthahalli), Sanjay Memorial Polytechnic (Sagar), TMAE Society's Polytechnic (Bhadravathi), and VI SSJ Government Polytechnic (Bhadravathi) Medical: There are no allopathic medical colleges in Shimoga district. However, there are two Ayurvedic colleges here, one being Bapuji Ayurvedic Medical College located in Shimoga City and the other being TAME Society's Ayurvedic College located in Kavalgundi, Bhadravathi. Both offer degree courses in BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery). Apart from the above, there is also a dental college namely Sharavathi Dental College, which is located in Shimoga City. General Education: There are 31 colleges in Shimoga district offering graduation and postgraduate courses whereas in under-graduate education, there are 68 colleges in Shimoga district offering under-graduate (pre-university) education. Prominent among them are DVS PU (Independent) College and DVS PU Composite College. In the case of primary and secondary education, there are 1,147 schools offering primary education and 313 high-schools offering secondary education in the Shimoga district.
3.2
TOURISM SCENARIO IN SHIMOGA

Shimoga district has several places of tourist interest and also gifted with many scenic beauties such water falls, viz. Jog Falls, Kunchikal Falls, Barkana Falls, Achakanya Falls, Vanake-Abbey Falls, Hidlamane Falls, Dabbe Falls etc. As per Karnataka Tourism statistics of 2002, number of tourists visited accounts for 112,570 persons, which is about 2.4 percent of total tourists of Karnataka. Especially in Jog Falls, 32,500 tourists have arrived, which is about 28.87 percent of total Shimoga tourist population. As per the year survey done by the Karnataka Tourism Department, nearly 35,000 tourists have visited Jog Falls, which is said to be highest number of tourists of the year and it also expected that the tourist population might increase to 50,000 depending upon the overall infrastructure development in the district especially related to topurism infrastructure. Apart from water falls, there are hill stations & trekking, lion safari and bird sanctuaries such as Agumbe, Kodachadri, Kundadri, Taverekoppa Lion Safari, Shakrebyle Elephant Camp, Bird Sanctuary, Mandagadde and Gudavi, which also attract significant proportion of tourists every year. Inaddition the district is also famous for temples, art and architecture. There are about 40 plus prominent temple in the district and the detailsl pertaining to the same are heghilited in table below: Table 3.4: Prominent Temples in Shimoga District Nilakantheshavar (Shikarpur taluk) Panchalingeshwara (Shikarpur taluk) Kaitapeshvar (Kubattur Kotipura) Rameshwara Temple (Soraba Taluk) Gandabherundeshvar (Shikarpur taluk) Someshvar (Shikarpur taluk) Rameshwara Temple (Kubattur -Kotipura) Kamaleshvara (Bilegungi Sagar Taluk) Daxina Kedharishvar (Shikarpur taluk) Tripurantakeshvar (Shikarpur taluk) Kedhareshvar (Shikarpur taluk) Kedaresvara temple (Belligave- Shikarpur taluk) Tripurantakeshavr (Shikarpur taluk) Someshvara Temple (Bandalike) Jagadeka Malleshwara Temple (Shikarpur taluk) Jagadeka Malleshwara Temple (Shikarpur taluk)
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Pranaveshvar (Talkunda) Siddarameshvar (Kodakani - Shorab taluk) Kalleshvar, Mallapallideva (Shikaripura) Rameshvar (Oduru)
Siddeshvara Swami (Chulegere) Virabhadreshvar (keladi)
Katteshvara (Choray Shorab taluk) Rameshvar (keladi)
Rameshvara (Choray Shorab taluk) Aghoreshvara (Ikkeri)
Ramalinga Svami (Shikaripura) Nilakanthesvara Temple (Nadkalasi) Shankaranarayana (Agumbe) Arkeshvar (Bank of river Thunga Arakkere Shimoga)
Gangeshwara Temple (Madhugangur - Near Shimoga) Mallikarjuna & Ramesvara Temple (Nadkalasi) Bhimeshvar, Guddekal Siddheshwara (Shimoga) Kaitapeshvara, Parvati (Anavatti)
Rameshvar, Brahmeshvar temples (Kudali) Amriteshvara Svami (Shikaripura) Sangameshvar (Thirthahalli)
Somesvara Temple (Pura near Sorab) Daxina Kedharishvar (Shikarpur taluk)
3.3
MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

As stated earlier, Shimoga district is located in central plateau of Karnataka where the region represents the transitional surface between the Northern Karnataka Plateau of Deacon Trap and southern Karnataka Plateau with relatively higher surface. At the same time the region primarily represents the area of Tungabhadra basin. Apart from Tungabhadra River, Varada and Kumudavathi inundate the luxuriant greens of the Shimoga region. In addition the district is famous for religious and heritage structures in art and architecture and also has sufficient tropical jungles home to wildlife, including some endangered species and also water falls. Presently the district also acts like tansit point for other tourim potential areas in the adjoining districts. Prominent amoung them are Chikamangalur, Banavasi, Udpi, Karwar, Gokarna, Belur, Halebid and Mangalore. In other terms this district can be also termed as leisure tourism circuit as it has various activities pertaining to religious and heritage, water falls, eco tourism and wildlife. Prominent among them are Jog falls, Agumbe, Linganamakki Dam/ Valley, Ikkeri, Chaudamma Temple (Sigandur), Gajanur Dam, Shivappanayaka Fort, Ambutheertha, Taverekoppa Lion Safari (Shimoga), Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary and Sakrebyle Elephants camp etc,. But presently majority of the tourist visit only Jog falls and Agumbe. This is mainly because of lack of awareness about the other potential areas, lack in tourism related infrastructure facilities (Sinages, hotels & restaurants, tourist information centers, Health centers) and the supporting infrastructure facilities (such water supply, sewerage and sanitation, road etc.). Map showing the location of major tourist potential areas and its catchment are shown in the figure below and taluk wise detail description of the same are presented in the below sections.
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Table 3.5: Taluk-wise List of Major Tourist Attractions in Shimoga District Shimoga Taluk Shimoga City Mandali Kudali Taverekoppa Kumbasi (Kumsi) Gajanur Sakrebylu Matthur Shikaripura Taluk Shikaripura Belligave Easuru Madagada kere Legend Less frequently visited tourist locations Kappanahalli Uduthadi Talagunda Bandalike Thogarsi Malavalli Huchhuraya Temple Shiva Yoga Ashram Bhadravathi Taluk BRP & its Surroundings Shankaraghatta Anagere Darga Lakshmi Narasimha Temple Hosanagara Taluk Ramachandrapur Mutt Devagange Nagara Kodachadri Karanagiri Hidduman Falls Humcha Kukkana Gudda Kalyani Chowka Heggaru Gudda Thirthahalli Taluk Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary Thirthahalli Agumbe Bharkana Falls Kuppalli Kundadri Hill Bheemanakatte Mrugavadhe Kavaledurga Melige Mahishi Soraba Taluk Uraganahalli Ibrahim Durgha Kodakani Bankasana Kuppagadde Udri Kotipura Chandraguthi Pura Manchi Gudavi Bird Sanctuary Sagara Taluk Hosagunda Linganamakki Brahmana Manchale Jog Falls Sagara Ikkeri Sigandhur Keladi Varadahalli Heggodu Honnemaradu Muppane Bheemalingeswara Biligalur Varadamula Bilagunji Gowthamapura Nadakalasi Bandagadde Theravinakoppa Madenuru Thalakale Dam Belli Gundi Falls
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An evaluation of the various tourist destinations in the district was done to categorize the destinations in terms of their potentiality with respect tourism sepecfic theme based activities. The existing infrastructure facilities, frequency of visit, tourism significance, relative strengths and weaknesses, prevailing climatic conditions, topography and accessibility etc., are some parameters considered and analysied while doing the evaluation of the exsisting destination. As stated earlier, Shimoga district is divided into 2 Sub-divisions and 7 Taluks. The Sagar Sub-division comprises the taluks of Sagar, Shikaripura, Sorab and Hosanagara while the Shimoga Sub-division comprises the taluks of Shimoga, Bhadravathi and Thirthahalli. Taluk wise description of each potential tourist destination have detaily described based on the above parameter are presented in the below sections Table 3.6: Geographical Details of Each Taluk in Shimoga District Taluka Name Bhadravati Hosanagar Sagar Shikaripur Shimoga Soraba Thirthahalli Inhabited Villages 138 201 230 155 195 279 245 Un-Inhabited Villages 7 3 8 21 19 27 2 Area (sq. km) 690 1423 1940 909 1108 1148 1247 No. of Tourist Attractions 5 10 25 13 7 10 14
Table 3.7: Catgorization of Tourist Attraction in Shimoga District Name of the Taluk No. of Frequency of Visit by Tourists Tourism Significance Tourist Not Heritage Religious Eco / Adventure Others Attractions Frequent Rare Very Rare Accessible Wildlife / Leisure 7 13 5 10 14 10 25 84 4 1 1 4 2 0 7 19 2 7 4 1 7 9 17 47 1 5 0 4 3 1 0 14 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 4 3 7 2 3 4 1 8 28 1 3 1 2 6 9 8 30 2 0 1 1 2 0 2 8 1 1 1 4 2 0 5 14 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 4
Shimoga Shikaripura Bhadravathi Hosanagara Thirthahalli Soraba Sagara Total
Shimoga Taluk: As stated above Shimoga Sub-division comprises the taluks of Shimoga, Bhadravathi and Thirthahalli and covers an area of 1108 sq.kms comprising of 214 villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprisis of 7 tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections.
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Table 3.8: Tourist Attraction in Shimoga Taluk Tourist Attractions Shimoga City Mandali Accessibility Road & Rail Road Tourism Typology Heritage Heritage Frequency of Visit Frequent Very Rare Tourism Significance Shivappanayaka Fort Place situated before the born of Shimoga as per the stone script of 11th Century traced near Siddeswara Temple of Kalluru Gudda. Historical place, situated at Tunga River Bank. Sri Sharadamba Temple and Idol of Sri Shankar made in White Marble stone is very attractive. Tunga and Bhadra River coalition spot Lion safari Jain Basadi, Masjid & a famous Sri Hanumantha Temple with good architecture Tunga reservoir Elephant breeding center and camp
Kudali
Road
Heritage & Religious
Rare
Taverekoppa Lion Safari Kumbasi (Kumsi) Gajanur Sakrebylu
Road Road Road Road
Eco / Wildlife Religious Leisure / Adventure Eco / Wildlife
Frequent Rare Frequent Frequent
Shimoga: Shimoga is a true picture of nature's bounty-landscapes dotted with waterfalls, swaying palms and lush paddy fields make for picturesque locales.Shimoga, almost central on the Karnataka map is the rice bowl of the State. The rivers Tungabhadra, Sharavathi, Varada and Kumudavathi inundate the luxuriant greens of the region.Shimoga was ruled by the great Indian dynasties of the Kadambas, Gangas, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Keladi and Vijaynagar Kings. Table 3.9: Snapshot of Shimoga, Shimoga Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism potential areas Tourism Infrastructure Heritage Tourism 274 km on road from Bangalore District Headquarters of Shimoga and acts like transit point for prominent tourist destination for central Karnataka Very frequently By road (NH-13, NH-206, SH-1, SH-26 and SH-48) and train Shivappanayaka Fort and Tunga River Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Majority of the hotels are sub-standard budget category hotels and unhygienic eateries Poor regional connectivity and the absences of air connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Strengths/ weaknesses
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Sakrebylu: Sakrebylu Elephant Camp lies 14 km from Shimoga town on the way to Thirthahalli. As the name suggests this is a training camp where elephants undergo training from mahouts and it is place were elephants from the nearby forest come to bath and play in the backwater of Tunga River.
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Table 3.10: Snapshot of Sakrebylu, Shimoga Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Adventure Tourism 14 km on road from Shimoga on Thirthahalli Road, on the banks of the Tunga reservoir it is a training camp/ home for wild elephants Very frequently By road NH-13 from Shimoga Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in standard budget category accomdation and eateries Poor regional connectivity and absences of sinages are the weekness
Taverekoppa Lion Safari: The Lion safari started way back in 1988 is home for all kinds of wild life. The safari is spread around a 200 Hectares of dense forest. The safari started in 1988 by the Forest Department with financial assistance from the Zilla panchyat initially accommodated only lions. Subsequently, tigers were introduced. Apart from tigers and
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lions, there are leopards, bears, foxes, crocodiles, pythons, deer, hyena, and peacocks etc. Presently Forest Department had approached the KSRTC seeking regular bus services between Shimoga city and the safari. Table 3.11: Snapshot of Taverekoppa Lion Safari, Shimoga Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 10 km from Shimoga city This Safari is located at Taverekoppa along B.H road (N.H 206) were Forest department has set-up the Shettihalli Lion Safari, where we can see some wild animals. Very frequently By road NH-206 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in standard budget category eateries Poor regional connectivity and absences of sinages are the weekness
Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
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Gajanur Dam: Gajanur dam is built across the river Tunga in a village called Gajanur, 12.0 km from Shimoga city on the National Highway NH-13 (the road that goes to Thirthahalli). 1.0 km from Gajanur there is place called "Sakrebylu" which is Govt. of India's elephant training camp. Located on the banks of the Tunga River and It is 15.0 km from "Mandagadde" bird life century and also close to Sakrebylu Elephant Camp. Table 3.12: Snapshot of Gajanur Dam, Shimoga Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 11 km from Shimoga city It is a dam built across the river Tunga in a village called Gajanur. The catchment of the dam is the bathing place for wild elephant and the tributires of Tunga River is also a breading place for birds. But presently the place is prohibited to Public. Prohibited to Public Accessible by NH-13 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in standard budget category eateries Poor regional connectivity and absences of sinages are the weekness
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Kudali: It is located 16.0 km from Shimoga on Holehonnur, Channagiri Road. It is the place where Tunga and Bhadra River joins, hence it is called as Koodali in Kannada. Kudali is also a religious centre and It is also called as south Varanasi. In addition to the above said area, there are many religious places exist in this area. Prominent amoung them are Mahaprayaga and Rushyashrama, Brahmeswara, Narashima and Rameshwsra temples, and 600 years old mutt at Shankaracharya is also exist. Inscriptions of Hoysala and Ikkeri Kings are found here. Table 3.13: Snapshot of Kudali, Shimoga Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Religious Tourism 16.0 km from Shimoga Bhadra River Joins together It is a place where Tunga Rarely
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Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in eateries Poor regional connectivity and absences of sinages are the weekness
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Shikaripura Taluk: As stated above Shikaripura, Sagar and Hosanagara are under Sagar Sub-division comprises. This taluk covers an area of about 909 sq.kms with 176 villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprisis of 13 tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections. Table 3.14: Tourist attraction in Shikaripura Taluk Tourist Attractions Shikaripura Accessi bility Road Tourism Typology Religious Frequen cy of Visit Rare Tourism Significance
Real Rice Bowl of Shimoga District. Famous holy places in the town are Huchhuraya Temple (Anjaneya Temple), Dattatreya Mutt (Admin. Sringeri Shankar Mutt), Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, Basaveshwar Temple, Kashi Vishweshwar Temple & Vittal Mandir. Capital of Banvasi Nadu during 12th Century. Famous for Keshareshwara Temple, Panchalinga Temple, Kaithaleshwara and Thripuramthakeshwara Temple. There are few Veerashivas Mutts. Famous for Fort and Birth Place of Akkamahadevi Famous for Sri Four Arms Ganesh Temple built during 5-7th Century & Sri Channakeshava Ananthashayana Temple Famous for Sri Umamaheswara Temple built during the year 1165 and renovated recently
Belligave
Road
Historical / Religious
Rare
Uduthadi Talagunda
Road Road
Heritage / Religious Heritage / Religious Heritage / Religious
Rare Rare
Bandalike
Road
Rare
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Tourist Attractions Easuru
Accessi bility Road
Tourism Typology Others (Historical)
Frequen cy of Visit Rare
Tourism Significance
The village Easuru of this taluk is famous for its freedom fighting. Phrase " Esuru kottaru Easuru kodevu" means "We won't give Easuru instead of more other villages as replacement", hails from this town. Villagers not allowed English police men into the village. They fought with them & sacrificed their lives. It is a biggest pond in Shikaripura Taluk one of the village in Shikaripura, which is famous for its "Drum Dance" known as "Dollu Kunitha". This Anjaneya Temple also known as Branthesh is one of 3 famous Anjaneya temples. Other 2 were Shanthesha of Sathenahalli (Hirekerur Taluk) & Kanthesha of Kadaramandalagi (Byadgi Taluk). its an meditation center of Swami Shankarananda. Ma Devi worked with Swamiji in developing and refining the Shiva Process and is a key teacher in training other teachers as well as working with individuals in private counselling. She also developed the hatha yoga programme of courses and teachers training. Famous for Sri Mallikarjuna Temple & two Veershaiva Mutt. A lightening pole of Boudha is attractive. Famous for written Stone Monument of Haritha Putra Chutukulananda Shathakarni. Renovated Sri Rameswara Temple is a protected National Monumental Birth place of Keladi Rani Channammaji, who ruled more than 25 years.
Madagada kere Kappanahalli Huchhuraya Temple
Road Road Road
Leisure / Adventure Others (Historical) Heritage / Religious
Rare Rare Rare
Shiva Yoga Ashram
Road
Religious
Rare
Thogarsi
Road
Religious
Rare
Malavalli
Road
Heritage / Religious
Rare
Kotipura
Road
Others (Historical)
Very Rare
Shikaripura: Shikaripura is a town and taluk headquarters of Shikaripura Taluk of Shimoga district and Irrigation is the main occupation in the taluk. It lies between plain ground (Bayaluseemae) and tropical forests (Malenadu). It is also known for the excellent quality of rice, with over 25 plus rice mills. Shikaripur carries the pride of supporting the need of Rice to the many regions of Southern India. Shikaripura is otherwise called as hunting place and full of small rivers. Famous architectural place like Belligavi, Uduthadi, Madagamasuru Tank, Thalagunda, and Bandalike is in this taluk only. Some famous holi places in the town are Huchhuraya Temple (Anjaneya temple), Dattatreya mutt (Admistered by Sringeri Shankar mutt), Raghavendra swamy mutt, Basaveshwar Temple, Kashi Vishweshwar Temple & Vittal mandir.Shikaripura is also known for its freedom fighting. The village Easuru of this taluk is famous for its freedom fighting. They fought with them & sacrificed their lives.
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Table 3.15: Snapshot of Shikaripura, Shikaripura Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious & Heritage Tourism 48.0 km on road from Shimoga It is famous for art and architectural place such as Belligavi, Uduthadi, Madagamasuru Tank, Thalagunda, and Bandalike. It is otherwise called as hunting place and consist of small rivers. Other famous holi places in the town are Huchhuraya Temple (Anjaneya temple), Dattatreya mutt (Admistered by Sringeri Shankar mutt), Raghavendra swamy mutt, Basaveshwar Temple, Kashi Vishweshwar Temple & Vittal mandir Very rare By road SH-1 Huchhuraya Temple (Anjaneya temple), Dattatreya mutt (Admistered by Sringeri Shankar mutt), Raghavendra swamy mutt, Basaveshwar Temple, Kashi Vishweshwar Temple & Vittal mandir. Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotels and unhygienic eateries Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism potential areas Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
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Belligave: Balligavi is a town in Shikaripura taluk. Today this taluk is known as Belagami or Balagamve. Its ancient names are Dakshina Kedara, Valliggame and Valligrame. Dakshina Kedara means Kedarnath of the South. A place of antiquity, it is known for its ancient monuments. It is also famous as the birth place of the great Virashaiva saint Allama Prabhu and is closely associated with Vachana poetess Akka Mahadevi who was born in nearby Udugani. Balligavi is also the birth place of Shantala Devi, queen of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana. Many famous Hoysala sculptors like Dasoja, Malloja, Nadoja, Siddoja hailed from here. Today, Balligavi (Balli in Kannada means creeper or vine) is a quite town much of whose daily routines revolve around agriculture and the famous 11th century Kedaresvara Temple and Tripurantakesvara Temple. Table 3.16: Snapshot of Belligave, Shikaripura Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Heritage Tourism 20 km from Shikaripura Belligave was the capital of Banvasi Nadu during 12th century. Keshareshwara temple, Panchalinga temple. Kaithaleshwara and Thripuramthakeshwara temple are known for the architectural beauty. There are few Veerashivas Mutts. Rarely By road SH-6 Keshareshwara temple, Panchalinga temple. Kaithaleshwara and Thripuramthakeshwara temple and Veerashivas Mutts Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotels and unhygienic eateries Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism potential areas Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
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Uduthadi: Mahadevi or Akka Mahadevi, sometimes called simply Akka, was born in Udutadi in the Karnataka region of India. She worshiped Shiva in the form of Chennamallikarjuna, which means literally "Mallika's beautiful Arjuna." It is said that Mahadevi was married by arrangement to Kausika, a local king. There were immediate tensions, however, as Kausika was a Jain, a group that tended to be wealthy and was, as a result, much resented by the rest of the population. Much of Akka's poetry explores the themes of rejecting mortal love in favor of the everlasting, "illicit" love of God, and this seems to be the path she chose as well.
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Table 3.17: Snapshot of Uduthadi, Shikaripura Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Heritage Tourism 7 km from Shikaripura it is a fort and birth place of Akkamadevi Rarely By road SH-6 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries and sinages Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Talagunda: Talagunda is a village in the Shikaripura taluk of Shimoga district in the state of Karnataka. Many inscriptions found here have provided insights into the rise of the Kadamba dynasty.Talagunda was earlier known as Sthanagundur and it was an Agrahara (a place of religious learning). An inscription found at Talagunda indicates that 32 Brahmins were relocated from a place called Ahichchatra to Sthanagundur by Mukanna (or Trinetra), thereby creating an Agrahara. Mukanna was an ancestor of Mayurasharma, the founder of the Kadamba dynasty. Education was imparted at Talagunda for eight centuries and the subjects that were taught included vedas, vedanta, grammar and philosophy. A temple dedicated to Pranaveshwara (Hindu God Shiva) is located in Talagunda. Next to it is located a stone slab containing inscriptions. In front of it is a pillar containing inscriptions in Sanskrit. The pillar inscriptions were written in the mid 5th century during the reign of Santivarma (the great-grandson of Mayurasharma). The author of this inscription was Kubja, the court-poet of Santivarma. Table 3.18: Snapshot of Talagunda, Shikaripura Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Heritage Tourism 23.0 km from Shikaripura Talagunda was earlier known as Sthanagundur and it was an Agrahara (a place of religious learning). Many inscriptions of Kadamba dynasty were found here. Rarely
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Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries and sinages Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Bhadravathi Taluk: As stated above Bhadravathi, Shimoga and Thirthahalli is under Shimoga Sub-division comprises. This taluk covers an area of about 690 sq.kms with 145
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villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprises of 5 tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections. Table 3.19: Tourist attraction in Bhadravathi Taluk Tourist Attractions Lakkavalli Shankaraghatta Anagere Darga Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary Lakshmi Narasimha Temple Accessibility Road Road Road Road Road Tourism Typology Leisure / Adventure Others (Education) Religious Leisure / Adventure Religious Frequency of Visit Frequent Rare Frequent Rare Frequent Tourism Significance Bhadra reservoir and Reserve Forest Kuvempu University is located here Religious place for both Hindu and Muslim communities Thick forest with wild lives living place and natural view area. Famous Shiva Temple in the District and also for art and architecture, dating back to 13th Century built by built by Hoysalas
Bhadravathi: Bhadravathi is an industrial town in the Shimoga District of Karnataka state, India. It is situated at a distance of about 255 kilometres from the state capital Bangalore and at about 18 kilometres fro`m the district headquarters, Shimoga. It is also the headquarters of the Bhadravathi Taluk. The town is spread over an area of 67 km and has a population of 160,662 as per the census held in 2001. Table 3.20: Snapshot of Bhadravathi, Bhadravathi Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Heritage & Religious Tourism 54 km from Shimoga city The Lakshminarsimha temple is the temple which dates back to 13th century, built by the Hoysalas in the heart of the town and the Rameshwara temple built on the banks of the river Tunga attract pilgrims from all parts of Karnataka and other states. Other potential areas are lakkavalli, Shankaraghatta and Anagere Darga Rarely Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries and sinages Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Hosanagara Taluk: As stated above Hosanagara, Shikaripura and Sorab is under Sagar Sub-division comprises. This taluk covers an area of about 1423 sq.kms with 204 villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprises of 10 tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections.
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Table 3.21: Tourist Attraction in Hosanagara Taluk Tourist Attractions Nagara Kodachadri Accessib ility Road Road Tourism Typology Heritage Religious / Adventure Frequency of Visit Rare Frequent Tourism Significance Famous for Shivappanayaka Fort Kodachari peak has an altitude of 1343 m above MSL. Believed that 'Shankaracharya' did meditation - 'Sarvajna Peetha' is located at the top. Famous for 'Agastya Teertha, a water falls enroute to peak. Water falls surrounded by thick forest - near Ambuthirtha Famous for protection of different types of Cows. Sri Ramanavami program is performed every year and is quite famous Famous for Sri Gangadhareswara Temple. Seven ponds of different sizes were constructed by the then Keladi Prines. Famous for Sri Vinayaka Temple. Grand Car festival takes place every year in Silver Car. 55 feet high tower covers 62 Ganesh art is quite attractive Renowned for Jain pilgrimage centre. Main attractions are Padmavathi Amma's temple and Jain Mutt, which dates back to 10th & 11th Century. Also known for its rich cultural and architectural heritage - came into existence about 1400 years ago, by the King Jindutt Rai of Ugr Dynasty. Place for adventurous trekkers and bathing in the soothing waters. Can also view and listen thick green grass, parrots chattering gaily on the trees that grew so straight on the steep banks. Located at bank of Sharavathi Backwater. activities like Bird Watching, Water Sports, Fire Camp are organized by Pvt. Organization with the help of Govt. Place is inaccessible but it is place for adventurous trekkers.
Hidduman Falls Ramachandra pur Mutt Basavana Bayige Karanagiri
Not Eco / accessibl Adventure e Road Religious
Not Accessible Frequent
Road
Religious / Heritage Religious
Rare
Road
Frequent
Humcha
Road
Religious / Heritage
Frequent
Kukkana Gudda
Road
Eco / Adventure
Rare
Kalyani Chowka
Road
Leisure / Adventure
Rare
Heggaru Gudda
Road
Eco / Adventure
Rare
Nagara: Nagara is a village in the Shimoga district of the state of Karnataka. It is located at a distance of 17.0 km from Hosanagara. This was otherwise called as "Bidanoor". During the 16th century this was the last capital city of Keladi rulers. Shivappanaika palace, fort, Devaganga tank, Neelakenteshwara temple and Gudde Venkataramana Swamy temple are the prominent places in Nagara. The fort is built on a small hill, beside a tank and has a system to circulate water around it for safety. On the hill, within the fort, there are Darbar Hall (KIng's Court), remains of a palace, two tanks called Akka Thangi Kola (Tanks of two sisters), and a cannon.
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Table 3.22: Snapshot of Nagara, Hosanagara Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Heritage & Religious Tourism 17 km from Hosanagara It is a 16th century place known as "Beendanoor. Place was also capital of Keladi rulers and later on was captured by Hyder Ali. Rarely By Road SH-1 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotels, hygienic eateries and sinages Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Kodachadri: Kodachari peak is situated in Shimoga district, with an altitude of 1343 m above sea level. It is believed that 'Shankaracharya' did meditation and to substantiate the same, a 'Sarvajna Peetha' is located at the top. To the en route to the peak there is moderate sized waterfall deep inside the evergreen forest of Kodachadri, which is called 'Agastya Teertha'. The Kodachari hills are a part of one of the largest forest areas in Karnataka and part of this region forms the Mookambika Nature Reserve. The best time to visit Kodachari is October to March. Regarding facilities is concerned; there is a travellers bungalow nearby. Table 3.23: Snapshot of Kodachadri, Hosanagara Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious & Adventure Tourism 36 km from Hosanagara It is the highest peak (1343 m of MSL) of Shimoga district and also famous for its wonderful sunrise and sunset and home to many endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna. Rarely Earthen road- accessible only through jeep Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotels, hygienic eateries and sinages Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Hidduman Falls: Table 3.24: Snapshot of Hidduman Falls, Hosanagara Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 16 kms from Kodachadri Valley and 8 km from Valur Village It is said that Ambuteertha is the birth place of the river Sharavathi, located at in Thirthahalli taluk, flows north-west through the Western Ghats forming the Hidlamane Falls and further forms Jog Falls. Not accessiable Earthen road and its inaccessiable
Frequency of Visit Accessibility
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Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
Lacking in sinages and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Humcha: The main attraction of Humcha is the Padmavathi Amma's temple and Jain Matt, which dated back to 10th & 11th century. Humcha is an Atishaya Kshetra, a place where divine events regularly occur. It is the most famous pilgrimage place dedicated to Lord Parsvanath and Devi Padmavati, in India. As per Historians and Jain religious leaders, Humcha is considered as the most sacred place for Mata Padmavathi. This place came into existence about 1,400 years ago, by the King Jindutt Rai of Ugr Dynasty, Humcha was his capital city and Mata Padmavathi was goddess of his family.
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Table 3.25: Snapshot of Humcha, Hosanagara Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious Tourism 54 km from Shimoga Humcha is pilgrim center for Jains which is 54 Kms from Shimoga and 25 Kms . from Thirthahalli . The panchkuta Basati (Jain Temple) of 10th ,11th century, Padmavathi temple and jain Mutt Frequently By road SH-1 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotels and unhygienic eateries Lacking in sinages and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure
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Thirthahalli Taluk: As stated above Thirthahalli, Shimoga and Bhadravathi is under Shimoga Sub-division comprises. This taluk covers an area of about 1247 sq.kms with 247 villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprises of 14 tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections. Table 3.26: Tourist Attraction in Thirthahalli Taluk Tourist Attractions Thirthahalli Accessibility Road Tourism Typology Religious Frequency of Visit Rare Tourism Significance Famous for Sri Rameswara Temple, grand Yellamavasya Jatra as well as the Theppotsava. Arch Bridge without pillar is an engg. challenge Water falls near Agumbe. No access at present Birth place of National Awardee KUVEMPU. Museum located here is quite famous Famous for Jain temple Place where Pandavas spent Vanavasa. More than 15 temples of Kadamba Hoysala Vijayanagar & Keladi Architecture Eswara Temple is there. Battle place of Sri Rama ends the life of Mareecha. It is a the then 4th Capital of Keladi Princes. Old Fort is located here. Place of Agastashrama Pilgrimage place for Jain community. There is a Sri Venkataramana Padmanabha Temple constructed during 17th Century. Sunset point- acts like a transit point
Bharkana Falls Kuppalli
Not Accessible Road
Leisure / Adventure Others (Education) Religious Religious / Heritage
Not Accessible Rare
Kundadri Hill Bheemanakatte
Road Road
Rare Rare
Mrugavadhe Kavaledurga
Road Road
Religious Heritage / Religious Religious / Heritage
Rare Very Rare
Melige
Road
Very Rare
Agumbe
Road
Leisure / Adv.
Frequent
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Tourist Attractions Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary Mahishi
Accessibility Road Road
Tourism Typology Eco / Wildlife Religious
Frequency of Visit Frequent Very Rare
Tourism Significance Bird sanctuary - will get submerged after increasing the height of the dam. Famous for Sri Satya Sandha Sripadangala Vrundavan & Sanskrit PataShala. Sri Vishnu Temple is also located here Origin of River Sharavathi. There is a Shiva temple located here Water falls near Ambuthirtha. No access at present The temple is dedicated to a Jain Tirthankara named Anantanatha, and was built by Ddvarajannpati and his wife Kompamnianm, who installed the murti of Anantanatha.
Ambutheertha Achayakani Falls Melagi
Road Not Accessible Road
Religious / Heritage Leisure / Adventure Religious / Heritage
Rare Not Accessible Rare
Thirthahalli: Thirthahalli is a panchyat town located in the Shimoga District of the state of Karnataka, India. It lies on the bank of the Tunga River and is also the headquarters of the Thirthahalli Taluk of Shimoga district. Prominent tourist destinations in Thirthahalli Taluk are Anandagiri and Siddeshwara Gudda, Kuppalli Agumbe, Chibbalagudde, Matka, Kundadri hills and Ambuteertha. Table 3.27: Snapshot of Thirthahalli, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism potential areas Tourism Infrastructure Religious Tourism 62 km on road from Shimoga Its dates back to Mythological story of Sage Parusharama and this region is covered by wild forests on the mountain ranges. Rarely By NH-13 from Shimoga Anandagiri and Siddeshwara Gudda, Kuppalli Agumbe, Chibbalagudde, Matka, Kundadri hills and Ambuteertha Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotels and unhygienic eateries Lacking in sinages and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Barkana Falls: Table 3.28: Snapshot of Barkana Falls, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 6 km from Agumbe Town Barkana Waterfalls is Located near Agumbe and 80 kms from Thirthahalli town. Barkana Waterfalls is one of the most scenic places in Thirthahalli taluk in Malnad region on the Western Ghats. Presently this place is not accessible by tourist .it said that Barkana Falls is the 10th highest waterfall in India. Very Rarely earthen road- 4.5 km
Frequency of Visit Accessibility
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Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
Lacking in sinages and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Kuppali: Table 3.29: Snapshot of Kuppali, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious Tourism 18 kms from Thirthahalli Kuppali is a small village in Thirthahalli taluk of Shimoga district in the state of Karnataka. Kuppalli is famous as the ancestral house of Kuvempu, an extra-ordinary poet, novelist and scholar in Kannada literature. This house has been converted into a museum with a library, auditorium and research center. The backdrop of thick evergreen forests makes this place even more attractive. Very rare Accessible by NH-13 & SH-1 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages, tourist information and guides
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Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Kundadri: Kundadri Hill is a huge monolithic rock formation with various outgrowths and is about 3200 feet above sea level. Surrounded by dense evergreen forest, Kundadri is an adventurous place for trekking. A rough stone paved path leading to the top of the hill in the middle of the dense forest. Kundadri has a Jain basadi on top of the hill. Kundadri named after the Jain priest, Kundakundacharya who was said to have performed penance here. On full moon day, one can experiment sun rise and the moon set simultaneously. Accommodation is not available at Kundadri. It is a great place for trekkers especially because of the unexplored trek paths as it is not explored by many. Best time to visit Kundadri Hill is during October to January. Table 3.30: Snapshot of Kundadri, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Religious & Adventures tourism 12 km from Thirthahalli It is an adventurous place for trekking lovers and also Jain pilgrimage centre. Kundadri hill is in fact a single gigantic monolithic rock formation with various outgrowths. Rarely By NH-13 from Shimoga Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages, tourist information center and guides
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Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Kavaledurga Fort: Table 3.31: Snapshot of Kavaledurga Fort, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Hertiage & Adventure tourism 20.0 km from Thirthahalli Kavaledurga is situated at about 20 kms on the Thirthahalli-Kundapura road and is at 5,000 Ft above sea level. A small fort was constructed at Kavaledurga, near Thirthahalli at around 9th century AD. Fort is ruined to a large extent and what remain are two fortresses and the Mylaareshwara shrine. At the top of the hill is the Srikanteshwara Temple. Very Rarely Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply, storm water drainage and sewerage services, solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages, tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Agumbe: Agumbe is a village located in the Shimoga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Lying in the Thirthahalli taluk and the Malnad region, Agumbe is among the places in India that receive very heavy rainfall earning it the sobriquet, 'Cherrapunji of the South'. It is also the home of the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, the only permanent rainforest research station in India. The renowned herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker called Agumbe the capital of King Cobra. An area near Agumbe has been converted into a protected area for Medicinal Plants to help in their conservation.
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Table 3.32: Snapshot of Agumbe, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure tourism 90 km from Shimoga Agumbe is one of the most scenic places on the Western Ghats and it also famous for spectacular sunset. Best season for viewing sunset of Agumbe is from November to January. Very Frequently By SH-25A from Shimoga Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages, tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary: Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary is located on the NH-13 at a distance of 30 km. from Shimoga town on the way to Thirthahalli. This is a small island surrounded by Tunga River and the birds found here are median egret, cormorant, darter and snakebird. Table 3.33: Snapshot of Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Adventure tourism 30 km on road from Shimoga on Thirthahalli Road on the bank of River Tunga. It is a picnic spot for all migrating birds from world during May season for breeding. Rarely By NH-13 from Shimoga Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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```
Ambuteertha: Sharavathi is one of the major rivers in Mid Western Ghats. It originates at Ambuteertha in Shimoga district (Karnataka) and flows to west to join Arabian Sea at Honnavar. The total length of the Sharavathi is 128 km and it has a catchment area of 2,209 sq. km with 4545 million cu. m annual discharge. Table 3.34: Snapshot of Ambuteertha, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious and adventure tourism 10 km from Thirthahalli on Hosanagara road It is said that Ambuteertha is the birth place of the river Sharavathi, located at in Thirthahalli taluk, flows north-west through the Western Ghats forming the Jog Falls before joining the Arabian Sea at Honnavar. Rarely By SH-1 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Achakanya Falls:
Table 3.35: Snapshot of Achakanya Falls, Thirthahalli Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Adventure tourism 5 kms from Ambuthitha, 2.5 km Aralsuruli village panchyat This is near a place called Aralsuruli, 10 km from the town of Thirthahalli on the way to Hosanagara. This is also formed by the Sharavathi River. Very Rarely Earthen Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as power supply
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Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Soraba Taluk: As stated above Soraba, Sagar, Shikaripura and Hosanagara are under Sagar Sub-division comprises. This taluk covers an area of about 1148 sq.kms with 306 villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprises of 10
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tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections. Table 3.36: Tourist Attractions in Soraba Taluk Tourist Attractions Chandragutti Kodakani Bankasana Accessibi lity Road Road Road Tourism Typology Religious Religious Heritage / Religious Heritage / Religious Frequency of Visit Rare Rare Rare Tourism Significance Famous for Sri Renukamba Temple. Large number of devotes are gathering during Jatra. Famous for Sri Siddeswara Temple. Idol of Mahisha Mardini & Ganapathi is also there. Coalition spot of Varada - Dandavathi rivers. There is Holelingeswara Temple constructed in the middle of the river. Famous for Sri Rameswara Temple of Rashtrakuta (1189 AD) built in Chalukya style. Famous for Sabha Mantapa consisting five Ankana with 29 pillars with beautiful Bagilavawa Art. Famous for Sri Laxminarayana Temple. Sri Eswara, Sri Ganapathi, Sri Yakshini & Saptha Mathruka Idols are beautiful. Famous for Sri KaitaBheswara Temple Famous for Sri Someswara Temple for fine arts on the stone pillars. Famous for Snake Temple (Surpha Temple) Famous for Muslim Durgha, other communities also visit this place during the season. It is a hamlet of Udri, located 4.0 km from Udri. Its famous for Hanuman Temple.
Kuppagadde
Road
Rare
Udri
Road
Religious
Rare
Kotipura Pura Uraganahalli Ibrahim Durgha Manchi
Road
Religious
Very Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare
Not Heritage / Accessible Religious Road Road Road Religious Religious Religious
Chandragutti: Chandragutti is 106 kms from Shimoga and is on the way from Sorab to Siddapur. It can be reached from Sorab (18kms), Siddapur (16kms) and from Sirsi (40kms). Chandragutti of Sorab taluk in Shimoga District is a beautiful village situated in Sahyadri ranges. It has the famous Renukamba temple. Devotees use to take bath in river Varada, about 3 kms from here, and walk to the temple. It is situated on a hill at the northern side of the village Table 3.37: Snapshot of Chandragutti, Soraba Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious tourism 16 km from Sorab It is a histrolical place and pilgrimage centre of Renukamba situated in between Soraba taluka and Siddapura. The temples of Renuka devi wife of Jamadhangi and mother of Parushurama is prominent temple attracting pilgrims from all parts of Karnataka Rarely By SH-48 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management.
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Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Strengths/ weaknesses Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Sagar Taluk: As stated above Sagara, Shikaripura, Soraba and Hosanagara are under Sagar Sub-division comprises. This taluk covers an area of about 1940 sq.kms with 238 villages which includes inhabited and un-inhabited villages. This taluk comprises of 25 tourist attraction categorized under various theme based activities. Details pertaining to prominent tourist destination are presented in the below table and its tourism significance has been explained in the below sections. Table 3.38: Tourist Attractions in Sagar Taluk Tourist Attractions Gudavi Bird Sanctuary Access ibility Road Tourism Typology Eco / Wildlife Frequency of Visit Frequent Tourism Significance Located on the Banavasi Road is spread over an area of 182 acres and rare verities of birds are commonly seen during the peak season. Surrounded by agricultural fields on the west and north, and by moist deciduous forest on the east and south, 191 species of flora and fauna have been identified. World famous Jog Falls - largest falls in Asia. Natural wetland surrounding the area Famous for art and architecture, dating back to 13th Century Temple is famous for its architecture, is constructed during the rule of Keladi dynasty. Every year Ikkeri Utsav is organized by the Ananya Trust in which Artistes from Bangalore, Shimoga and other places will perform Famous for Choudeshwari Devi temple and is surrounded by the backwaters of Sharavathi River when the dam was built. First capital of Keladi Nayakas. Famous for 3 temples - Rameshvara, Veerbhadreshvara and the Parvati. The Rameshvara & Veerbhadreshvara temples are a mixed pattern of Hoysala & Dravidian style. There is also a well maintained Keladi Museum, which has a collection of copper inscriptions, palm leaves & coins of Nayaka period. Famous saint Bhagvan Sri Sridhara Swamijis worship place NINASAM Theatre is established by the International Magsese Awardee Sri KV Subbanna. Famous for water sport enthusiasts, tucked away in the lush greenery of the Western Ghats situated on the backwaters of the Sharavathi River, and surrounded by numerous small islands, is ideal for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, wind water
Jog Falls
Road
Eco / Leisure / Adventure Heritage Heritage
Frequent
Sagara Ikkeri
Road Road
Rare Frequent
Sigandhur
Road
Religious
Rare
Keladi
Road
Heritage / Religious
Frequent
Varadahalli Heggodu Honnemaradu
Road Road Road
Religious Others (Art & Culture) Eco / Wildlife / Adventure
Rare Rare Frequent
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Tourist Attractions
Access ibility
Tourism Typology
Frequency of Visit
Tourism Significance surfing, island camping, trekking and bird/ butterfly watching.
Muppane
Road
Eco / Wildlife Religious Heritage / Religious Religious Religious Religious Heritage / Religious Religious Religious Others (Education)
Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Frequent
Thick forest with wild lives living place and natural view area. Famous for Bheemalingeswara Temple thousands of devotes gather during Shivarathri. Famous for Sri Vardhamana Swami Basadi built approximately 800 years ago. Birthplace of Varada River - holy place for Hindus for performing post funeral functions Religious place consisting of Kamaleswara Temple built during 16-17th Century Famous for Sri Surya Narayana Idol, Sri Veerabhadra, Durga & Banashankari Temple Famous for Sri Mallikarjuna Rameswara Temple built by Hoysala Samanth during the year 1218 Keladi Rajaguru Hiremutt is famous for Veerashaivas. Famous for Akkanagamma Temple - solution of problems from Snakes. Famous AB Site as well as Mahathma Gandhi Hydro Electric Generating Station Famous for Sri Umamaheswara Temple built during the year 1165 and renovated recently. This area is surrounded by thick Western Ghats forest and its famous for lush greenery and identified Varity of species of flora and fauna. Famous for Sri Umamaheswara Temple built during the year 1165 and renovated recently World famous Sharavathi Dam area Enroot to Basavana baayi, 600 feet Belligundi water falls is seen. But presently this inaccessible through road Havyaka Brahmins are a Brahmin subsect primarily from the Indian state of Karnataka and Northern Kerala. Havyakas mostly profess the advaita philosophy propounded by Shankaracharya. Most Havyakas can trace their immediate ancestry to either Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada or Shimoga districts of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala. The water from Linganamakki dam flows to Talakalale Balancing Talakalale through a
Bheemalingesw Road ara Biligalur Varadamula Bilagunji Gowthamapura Nadakalasi Bandagadde Road Road Road Road Road Road
Theravinakoppa Road Madenuru Hosagunda Road Road
Heritage / Rare Religious/ adventurous
Hosagunda Linganamakki Belligundi Falls
Road Road
Heritage / Religious Others
Rare Frequent Very Rare
Not Adventure accessi ble Road Religious
Brahmana Manchale
Rare
Talakalale Reservoir
Road
Leisure / Adventure
Rare
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Tourist Attractions
Access ibility
Tourism Typology
Frequency of Visit
Tourism Significance trapezoidal canal.
Gudavi Bird Sanctuary: The Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is the bird watcher's paradise in Karnataka. The Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is located on the Banavasi Road in Gudavi of Sorab Taluk in Shimoga District. The Gudavi Bird Sanctuary is spread over an area of 182 acres and rare varities of birds such as White Pebis, Stone Bill, Egret, Cormorant, Snake bird, Heron were commonly seen during the peak season. Various avian species immigrate from across the globe to the Gudavi Bird Sanctuary at Karnataka, in different seasons for breeding. A platform is built on the Gudavi Bird Sanctuary for bird watchers to have a closer look of the birds. Their symphony can be heard miles away. Surrounded by agricultural fields on the west and north, and by moist deciduous forest on the east and south, 191 species of flora and fauna have been identified. Table 3.39: Snapshot of Gudavi Bird Sanctuary, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 115 km on road from Shimoga, 41 km from Sagar It is a paradise for bird watcher's in Karnataka, located in Sorab taluk and this place offers a number of exquisite bird species. Various kinds of birds migrate Gudavi for breeding in monsoon season i.e., between June and December. A natural lake and the trees give shelter to these birds. Very Rare By SH-48 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Jog Falls: Table 3.40: Snapshot of Jog Falls, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 104 km from Shimoga via Sagar It is otherwise called as Sharavathi falls form the highest water falls in India and right of the falls is 900 feet. It has four distinct falls anmely Rani, Roorer and Rocket. The best time to visit falls is soon after the monsoon during July and August. The Hirebhaskar Dam has been built on the River Sharavathi just before it takes the shape of Jog falls. Hence at the other times of the year, the falls are seen as narrow stream of water due to considerably less volume as the water is reserved for power generation purposes. Frequently Visited
Frequency of Visit
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SH-50, 1.5 km off NH-206 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, power supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Sagar: Sagar is located in Shimoga District, which is about 75 km north-west of Shimoga. The place is famous for its ivory and sandalwood industries. The town also has an artisantraining center run by the government. Sagar has a concentration of the Gudigars families that for generations have been engaged in sandalwood and ivory carving. While the Gudigar men make idols, figurines and knick-knacks like penholders, agarbathi stands, cuff links, photo frames and paper clips, the women are adept at making garlands and wreaths out of thin layers of scraped sandalwood. Places of tourist interest include the Siddhi Vinayaka temple, Durga temple, Keladi, Kalasi, Honnemaradu and Ikkeri. Varadamoola, the origin of the river Varada, is also near Sagar. Economy of Sagar is mainly driven by Arecanut or Beetlenut and rice (paddy), spice and forest product trading as well as agriculturist. Beetlenut is one of the cash crops and the villages surrounding Sagar grow these agriculture products. Table 3.41: Snapshot of Sagar, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Heritage & Adventure Tourism 115 km on road from Shimoga, 41 km from Sagar This place is famous for art and architecture, dating back to 13th century and adventures tourism because of close proximity to Saravathy backwater and Vardamoola River. Rarely NH-206 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in budjet category hotel, hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Ikkeri: The temple, known for its architecture, is said to have been constructed during the rule of Keladi dynasty. This is the second cultural event being organized by the trust at Ikkeri in association with the Department of Kannada and Culture and the Tourism Department. Every year Ikkeri Utsav is being organized by the Ananya Trust in which Artistes from Bangalore, Shimoga and other places will perform at the Utsav. Table 3.42: Snapshot of Ikkeri, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Religious Tourism 3 km from Sagar
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Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses
Ikkeri is closely associated with the rise and fall of a ruling dynasty called the Nayakas of Keladi Rarely 3 km off NH-206 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Sigandhur: Sigandhur is a small place situated in the Sagar taluk of Shimoga district. The main attraction of this place is the Choudeshwari Devi temple Sigandhur got surrounded by the backwaters of Sharavathi River when the dam was built. The Choudeshwari temple is further 4 km away from this point. There are frequent bus and jeep/tempo plying to and fro. Table 3.43: Snapshot of Sigandhur, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Religious Tourism 35 km from Sagar Sigandhur is a small place situated in the Sagar taluk of Shimoga district. The main attraction of this place is the Choudeshwari devi temple. Rarely Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Keladi: Keladi was the first capital of Keladi Nayakas. The place is 6 Km to the north of Sagar taluk. At almost the northern end of the village, there is a large courtyard which is enclosed in modern tiled verandah. In the middle of the courtyard stand 3 temples Rameshvara temple which is in the centre, Veerbhadreshvara temple which is to the right and the Parvati temple which is to the left. The Rameshvara & Veerbhadreshvara temples are a mixed pattern of Hoysala & southern or Dravidian style. The Parvati temple is a small building which has old back portion built of stone and the front modern portion built
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of brick. There is also a well maintained Keladi Museum, which has a collection of copper inscriptions, palm leaves and coins from Nayaka's period. Table 3.44: Snapshot of Keladi, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Heritage Tourism 8 km from Sagar It is a village, which was also the capital of Keladi Nayakas for some time. There is a museum well maintained in this place. Temples of Rameshwara, Veerabhadra. Rarely SH-77 via Sagar Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Heggodu: Table 3.45: Snapshot of Heggodu, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Heritage Tourism 8 km from Sagar Heggodu is a small village located in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district. It is about 8 km from Sagar. It is famous for being the location of Ninasam, a cultural organization which contributes significantly in the areas of drama, films and publishing. NINASAM stands for Nilakanteshwara Natya Seva Sangha which is the brain child of the renowned dramatist, K. V. Subbanna. Heggodu has been hosting one of the most extraordinary annual cultural gatherings in India, which has made ordinary villagers accept the arts as a happy way of life; where curious visitors - both famous and otherwise have visited to experience and feel part of this splendid festival of sorts. Heggodu is a place surrounded by rampant greenery; pleasantly infested by areca-nut plantations and whose inhabitants are amicable to say the least. In a way, all the natural splendors (for someone from Bangalore, the healthy trees invoke nostalgia). Very Rarely Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in budget category hotel, hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Honnemaradu: Honnemaradu, the village, having been engulfed in the mid-1960s by the Linganamakki dam, has been literally resurrected today. This haven for water sport enthusiasts, tucked away in the lush greenery of the Western Ghats, is in the Shimoga District, about 25 km from Sagar town on the way to Jog Falls. Honnemaradu, situated on the backwaters of the Sharavathi River, and surrounded by numerous small islands, is
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ideal for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, wind water surfing, island camping, trekking and bird/ butterfly watching. Table 3.46: Snapshot of Honnemaradu, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 25 kms from Sagar via Talguppa road It is basically a lake, Situated on the back waters of River Sharavathi River, Encompassing an catchment area of 80 km . This is one of the excellent place for adventure water sports. Frequently Visited inaccessible (till Sagar it is accessible through bus From there it is a 6 to 8 km walk to Honnemaradu) Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as road, water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Varadamula: Table 3.47: Snapshot of Honnemaradu, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Religious Tourism 6 km from Sagar Being called as Theertha grama, this place is having lot of temples and three small lakes. This place got this name as the river 'Varadha' originates from this place. Its located very close to other religious tourist potential area such as Ikkeri and Heggodu. It is located 75 km from Shimoga and 6 km from Sagar. The important rivers that flow through the Shimoga district are the Tunga, Bhadra, Tungabhadra, Sharavathi, Kumudvati and Varada. The Tunga and the Bhadra unite to form the Tunga-bhadra at Kudali in Shimoga taluk, 14 Kms, from Shimoga. The Kumudvati and the Varada are tributaries of the Tungabhadra. Every river in the district has its own mythological association. Very Rarely Village Road Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as road, water supply and solid waste management. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
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Linganamakki Dam: Table 3.48: Snapshot of Linganamakki Dam, Sagar Taluk Tourism Typology Location Importance Adventure Tourism 6.0 kms from Jog Falls Linganamakki dam is built across the Sharavathi river and is located 6 km from the Jog Falls. It is also the location of the Mahatma Gandhi Hydro-electric project which has a power generating capacity of 55 MW. Water which is released from this dam flows into the Jog Falls. The best sight of the Jog Falls is in the monsoon season when excess water is released from this dam. In addition the catchment area of the dam encompasses a area of about 46.60 sq.km. At present this dam is not allowed for public due to terrorist and anti social element treat. The Linganamakki Dam receives water mainly from rainfall and also from Chakra and Savehaklu reservoirs, which linked to Linganamakki Dam flows through a trapezoidal canal into the Talakalale Balancing
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reservoir. Frequency of Visit Accessibility Tourism Infrastructure Strengths/ weaknesses Prohibited to Public Accessible by NH-206 Lacks in basic infrastructure facilities such as road, water supply. Lacking in hygienic eateries, sinages tourist information center and guides Poor regional connectivity is acting as barrier for tourism development.
Photo gallery of various tourism attractions in the Shimoga District captured in the Tourism Master Plan is given in Annexure - 2.
3.4
TOURIST ARRIVALS
As stated earlier, Shimoga district is located in central plateau of Karnataka where the region represents the transitional surface between the Northern Karnataka Plateau of Deacon Trap and southern Karnataka Plateau with relatively higher surface. At the same
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time the region primarily represents the area of Tungabhadra basin. As per the available tourist statistics as per the year 2006, the overall tourist inflow witnessed positive growth rate of 90.63 % (1,215,781) during 2007 but during 2008 the tourist inflow has shown a negative growth rate of 25.10% (910,650). In the case of origin of the tourist majority of domestic tourists are from Maharashtra, Kerala and Southern states, Gujarat, UP etc. regarding foreigners tourist majority of them are from France, Italy, German, USA, Holland, Japan, UK etc. Regarding the nature of the tourist, 60 percent of the tourist constitutes the leisure tourism and remaining 30 percent constitutes Heritage and Pilgrimage tourists such as Koodali Sanghama, Humcha etc. Regarding the seasonal inflow it was observed that the flow of tourist especially the foreigners, were high during the month of October-January and for the domestic May and September-January in Shimoga district. The overall tourist inflow in Jog falls and the overall tourist inflow in Shimoga district is shown ion the below table; Table 3.49: Overall Tourist Inflow to Jog Falls Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Domestic Tourists 282,571 281,613 186,070 284,809 430,091 450,491 637,754 1,215,781 910,650 Growth Rate (%) --0.34 -33.93 53.07 51.01 4.74 41.57 90.63 -25.1 Foreign Tourists 586 986 694 566 675 957 1,032 1,013 1,385 Growth Rate (%) -68.24 -29.61 -18.44 19.25 41.77 7.84 -1.85 36.72 Total 283,157 282,599 186,764 285,375 430,766 451,448 638,786 1,216,794 912,035 Growth Rate (%) --0.2 -33.91 52.8 50.95 4.8 41.5 90.49 -25.05
Source: Indiastat- 2006, Department of Tourism
The above table shows the district overall tourist inflow witnessed positive growth rate of 90.63 % (1,215,781) during 2007 but during 2008 the tourist inflow has shown a negative growth rate of 25.10% (910,650). There was an increase in domestic tourist visitors but in the case of foreign tourist visitors there is low turnout, this is mainly due to various reasons and some of them are listed below: Lack of maintenance of the existing gardens and other major tourist places of attraction. Poor promotion and marketing (including packaging) of the attractions within the district; Lack of availability of quality tourism infrastructure like starred hotels, resorts, amenities, etc. There is entertainment activities like restaurants, discotheques, retail, amusement arcades, etc. along the Shimoga jog falls stretch (110 km) ; and Poor connectivity and undeveloped area development schemes for tourist attractions. Inadequate signages and directions for the visiting tourists. Lack of trained manpower in terms of guides, and maintenances of tourism potential area. On comparison of tourist visiting Jog falls and staying at Shimoga, it was observed that Jog falls attracted more tourists than the other tourist spots such as Sagar and Agumbe in the district. At the same time it was observed that the present duration of stay of tourist
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(Domestic & Foreigners) is only for 1.5 days and majority of them preferred to stay in Shimoga rather than Sagar. This is mainly because of non availability of quality hotels rooms in the above said areas. Presently Jog falls has few lodges, Government guest house, Youth hostel and Yatri Nivas etc. the details pertaining to the same are mentioned in the table below;
The above trend indicates that the district attract only visiting tourists than those who extend stay in the district though the district is abundant with tourist attractions adequate enough to extend stay for 1-1.5 days. Thus, the poor turnout in terms of stay in the district may be largely attributed to lack of proper accommodation and tourist infrastructure facilities, which encourages / facilitates tourists to make a stay in the district. Thus, it is evident that the sustainable tourism promotion for this district shall focus on packaging the existing tourism products and augment necessary tourism infrastructure like quality accommodation, restaurants, entertainment facilities, etc. to encourage tourists to extend the stay for 3-5 days.
3.5
TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE
This district is blessed with all sort tourism related activities but major constraints to promote tourism activities in the region are the lack of quality accommodation facilities, poor recreational facilities, poor road connectivity, lacking in public transport system, lack of basic civic amenities like drinking water, toilets and no road-side amenities like motels, restaurants. As per the year 2008 statistics from the tourism department of Karnataka, that jog falls attracts on an average of 99.64 percent of tourist both in terms of domestic as well as foreigner tourist. During the peak season jog falls alone attracts 25,000 to 30,000 tourist in which majority of them is domestic tourists (0.21%). This fact is an evident from the statistics that Shimoga District has the potential but due to above mentioned major constraints the tourist are presently staying there in district only for 1.5 days. Regarding the hospitality sector, presently there is only one star category hotels in the district with 61 rooms while un-starred category, there are about 867 nos rooms. The unstarred hotels also include homes stays facilities which are in Thirthali and Hosanagara Taluk. Still the district is in amature stage in terms of home stays culture. Their contribution to the overall hospitality development is 6 in nos., adding to 22 rooms to the total inventory. Prominent Home Stay in the district are Inchara, Kolavara, Sahyadri, Simha Farms, Matthuga & Nammane. The overall observation during the primary survey on Home Stay also indicates that majority of them are not got registered by the tourism department nor by the local government (Panchyat & Muncipality).
3.6
ESTIMATION OF NUMBER OF VISITORS

As stated earlier, Karnataka accounted for 11.5 percent of the total foreign tourists visiting India during the year 2008 and ranked 4th most popular tourist destination in the country amongst foreign tourists and 8th amongst domestic tourists. Interms of arcological protected monuments is concerned, there are about 3600 monuments in the country and Karanataka contribution to the same is about 507. it is said that Karnataka has the second highest number of protected monuments in India, next only to Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka principal tourism products can be broadly categorized into six categories, viz. Wild Life Sanctuary, Temple, Jain Pilgrimage, Eco Tourism, Plantation, Spiritual, Beaches and Hill Station with coffee and tea plantations of green environs harmonizing them all together to form a Green Symphony. Destination-wise tourist statistics suggest that heritage/ cultural/religious sites & events attract 75 percent of the tourists visiting the state, followed by Hill Station, Eco Tourism and adventure tourism with 25 percent.
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Demand assessment and projections of tourism sector in the Shimoga District have been analyzed based on the following key performance/normative indicators arrived based on the situation analysis of the prevailing sector performance Karnataka. Historic performance of the tourism industry in the subject tourist spots in terms of number of visitors (both foreign and domestic); Behavioral analysis of the tourists in terms of preferred typology of accommodation and duration of stay; Positive implications of the Karnataka Tourism Vision and other tourism promotion efforts of the GoK; and Induced demand through appropriate packaging of the tourism products. It may be noted that the sector performance of the district has been considered only for the assessment of behavior of the tourists in terms of overnight visitors (domestic & foreign), preferred typology of accommodation and duration of stay, as both northern Kerala and southern coastal Karnataka have significant similarity in the characteristics of the tourism products and good interconnectivity between the two regions. Following table presents various assumptions utilized while doing the demand projections and the rationale for the assumptions. Table 3.50: Key Assumptions Used in Demand Projection of the Tourism Industry in Karnataka No. 1. Particulars Historic Growth Rate (2000-2008) - Domestic tourists - Foreign tourists 2. Induced Additional Growth Rate due to Promotional Aspects - Year 2008-2010 - Year 2011-2013 - Year 2014-2015 - Year 2016-2020 3. 4. Average Duration of Stay Average Annual Occupancy Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent 3 days 5 days 67.5 7.00 5.00 3.00 2.00 Worked out separately for two scenarios Assumed across all typology of rooms to arrive at total demand for rooms Percent Percent 22.71 15.49 Assumptions based on industry performance elsewhere due to policy initiatives and promotional aspects Unit Description Rationale Based on the statistics of the Department of Tourism, GoK, for the year 2005, extrapolated from the State tourism statistics
Based on the above assumptions, the tourists visiting the Shimoga District is projected (using the historic tourists statistics of the state from 2000 to 2008) and presented below. Table 3.51: Projection of Number of Tourists Visiting in Shimoga District Year 2007 2008 2009 Domestic Tourists 1,215,781 910,650 1,195,655 Foreign Tourists 1,013 1,385 1,712 Total Tourists 1,216,794 912,035 1,197,367 Year 2022 2023 2024 Domestic Tourists 27,072,925 33,884,883 42,410,833 Foreign Tourists 17,622 20,759 24,454 Total Tourists 27,090,547 33,905,642 42,435,287
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Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Domestic Tourists 1,569,858 2,061,174 2,655,674 3,421,642 4,408,538 5,571,889 7,042,232 8,814,164 11,031,941 13,807,744 17,281,982 21,630,391
Foreign Tourists 2,115 2,614 3,169 3,843 4,660 5,544 6,595 7,769 9,151 10,780 12,699 14,959
Total Tourists 1,571,973 2,063,788 2,658,843 3,425,486 4,413,198 5,577,433 7,048,826 8,821,932 11,041,092 13,818,525 17,294,681 21,645,350
Year 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
Domestic Tourists 53,082,041 66,438,287 83,155,167 104,078,267 130,265,936 163,042,820 204,066,864 255,413,180 319,679,006 400,115,088 500,790,108
Foreign Tourists 28,807 33,934 39,974 47,089 55,471 65,345 76,976 90,677 106,818 125,831 148,228
Total Tourists 53,110,848 66,472,221 83,195,141 104,125,356 130,321,407 163,108,165 204,143,840 255,503,857 319,785,824 400,240,919 500,938,336
Utilizing the assumptions on the proportion of tourists making overnight stay and stay in starred and Un-starred category hotels, projection has been carried out separately for both domestic and foreign tourists visiting the reference region and is presented below. Table 3.52: Projection of Number of Tourists Making Overnight Stay in Shimoga District
Year No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay Domestic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 332,638 249,154 327,131 429,513 563,937 726,592 936,161 1,206,176 1,524,469 1,926,755 2,411,555 3,018,339 3,777,799 4,728,350 5,918,075 7,407,152 Foreign 698 954 1,179 1,457 1,800 2,183 2,648 3,211 3,819 4,543 5,352 6,304 7,426 8,748 10,306 12,140 Total 333,336 250,108 328,310 430,970 565,738 728,776 938,809 1,209,387 1,528,288 1,931,298 2,416,907 3,024,643 3,785,225 4,737,099 5,928,380 7,419,292 No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay in Unstarred Hotels Domestic 246,651 184,748 242,568 318,484 418,160 538,768 694,164 894,379 1,130,394 1,428,688 1,788,168 2,238,098 2,801,238 3,506,072 4,388,253 5,492,403 Foreign 580 793 980 1,211 1,497 1,815 2,201 2,669 3,174 3,776 4,448 5,240 6,173 7,272 8,566 10,091 Total 247,231 185,541 243,548 319,695 419,656 540,583 696,364 897,048 1,133,568 1,432,465 1,792,617 2,243,339 2,807,411 3,513,343 4,396,818 5,502,494 No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay in Starred Hotels Domestic 60,041 44,972 57,432 73,343 96,297 124,071 159,857 205,964 260,315 329,009 411,792 515,405 645,089 807,403 1,010,558 1,264,830 Foreign 81 111 137 168 208 252 306 370 441 524 618 727 857 1,009 1,189 1,401 Total 60,123 45,084 57,568 73,511 96,505 124,323 160,162 206,335 260,756 329,533 412,410 516,133 645,946 808,413 1,011,747 1,266,230
Final Report - 92 -
Year
No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay Domestic Foreign 14,301 16,846 19,845 23,377 27,538 32,440 38,214 45,016 53,029 62,468 73,587 86,685 102,115 Total 9,285,205 11,620,450 14,543,091 18,200,892 22,778,792 28,508,254 35,678,974 44,653,532 55,885,723 69,943,514 87,537,763 109,558,173 137,118,288
No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay in Unstarred Hotels Domestic 6,874,375 8,604,072 10,768,987 13,478,628 16,870,055 21,114,816 26,427,624 33,077,214 41,399,943 51,816,796 64,854,687 81,173,108 101,597,493 Foreign 11,887 14,003 16,495 19,431 22,890 26,964 31,764 ag71 ah71 51,923 61,165 72,053 84,878 Total 6,886,262 8,618,075 10,785,482 13,498,059 16,892,944 21,141,780 26,459,387 33,077,214 41,399,943 51,868,719 64,915,852 81,245,161 101,682,370
No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay in Starred Hotels Domestic 1,583,080 1,981,407 2,479,959 3,103,954 3,884,956 4,862,470 6,085,941 7,617,256 9,533,873 11,932,740 14,935,198 18,693,120 23,396,592 Foreign 1,650 1,944 2,290 2,697 3,178 3,743 4,410 5,194 6,119 7,208 8,491 10,003 11,783 Total 1,584,730 1,983,351 2,482,249 3,106,652 3,888,134 4,866,213 6,090,350 7,622,450 9,539,992 11,939,948 14,943,689 18,703,123 23,408,375
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
9,270,904 11,603,604 14,523,246 18,177,515 22,751,254 28,475,814 35,640,760 44,608,516 55,832,694 69,881,046 87,464,176 109,471,488 137,016,174
160,000,000 No. of Tourist 140,000,000 120,000,000 100,000,000 80,000,000 60,000,000 40,000,000 20,000,000 0
2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 2035
Year
No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay in Unstarred Hotels No. of Tourists making Overnight Stay in Starred Hotels
Assuming the duration of stay as 1 days and 3 days for each overnight stay in starred category accommodation, daily demand projection has been carried out for starred rooms without and with assumptions on average occupancy rate and the same is presented in the table below.
Final Report - 93 -
Table 3.53: Daily Demand Projection for Unstarred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District Year Daily Demand for Unstarred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 3-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2,027 1,518 1,994 2,618 3,437 4,428 5,705 7,351 9,291 11,743 14,697 18,395 23,024 28,817 36,068 45,143 56,502 70,718 88,512 Foreign 5 7 8 10 12 15 18 22 26 31 43 43 51 60 70 83 98 115 136 Total 2,032 1,525 2,002 2,628 3,449 4,443 5,724 7,373 9,317 11,774 14,740 18,438 23,075 28,877 36,138 45,226 56,599 70,833 88,648 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 3,003 2,250 2,954 3,878 5,092 6,560 8,453 10,890 13,764 17,397 21,774 27,252 34,109 42,692 53,434 66,879 83,706 104,768 131,129 Foreign 7 10 12 15 18 22 27 32 39 46 54 64 75 89 104 123 145 171 201 Total 3010 2259 2966 3893 5110 6582 8479 10923 13803 17442 21828 27316 34185 42780 53538 67001 83851 104939 131330 Daily Demand for Unstarred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 5-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 3,379 2,531 3,323 4,363 5,728 7,380 9,509 12,252 15,485 19,571 24,495 30,659 38,373 48,028 60,113 75,238 94,170 117,864 147,520 Foreign 8 11 13 17 21 25 30 37 43 52 61 72 85 100 117 138 163 192 226 Total 3,387 2,542 3,336 4,379 5,749 7,405 9,539 12,288 15,528 19,623 24,556 30,731 38,458 48,128 60,230 75,377 94,332 118,056 147,746 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 5,006 3,749 4,923 6,463 8,486 10,934 14,088 18,151 22,941 28,994 36,290 45,421 56,849 71,153 89,056 111,464 139,510 174,613 218,549 Foreign 12 16 20 25 30 37 45 54 64 77 90 106 125 148 174 205 241 284 335 Total 5,017 3,765 4,943 6,488 8,517 10,971 14,132 18,205 23,005 29,071 36,380 45,527 56,974 71,301 89,230 111,669 139,752 174,898 218,883
Final Report - 94 -
Year
Daily Demand for Unstarred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 3-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic Foreign 160 188 222 261 308 362 427 503 592 698 Total 110,943 138,846 173,768 217,474 272,175 340,636 426,318 533,555 667,768 835,746 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 164,123 205,419 257,106 321,798 402,767 504,109 630,950 789,707 988,409 1,237,108 Foreign 237 279 328 387 456 537 632 745 877 1,034 Total 164360 205698 257434 322184 403222 504646 631583 790452 989287 1238141
Daily Demand for Unstarred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 5-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 184,639 231,097 289,244 362,022 453,113 567,123 709,819 888,420 1,111,960 1,391,746 Foreign 266 314 369 435 513 604 711 838 987 1,163 Total 184,905 231,410 289,613 362,457 453,625 567,726 710,530 889,258 1,112,947 1,392,909 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 273,539 342,365 428,510 536,329 671,278 840,181 1,051,584 1,316,178 1,647,349 2,061,847 Foreign 394 465 547 645 759 895 1,054 1,241 1,462 1,723 Total 273,933 342,830 429,057 536,974 672,037 841,076 1,052,638 1,317,420 1,648,811 2,063,569
2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
110,783 138,658 173,546 217,213 271,868 340,274 425,891 533,052 667,176 835,048
Table 3.54: Daily Demand Projection for Starred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District Year Daily Demand for Starred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 3-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 2007 2008 2009 2010 493 370 472 603 Foreign 1 1 1 1 Total 494 371 473 604 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 731 548 699 893 Foreign 1 2 2 2 Total 732 549 701 895 Daily Demand for Starred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 5-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 822 616 787 1,005 Foreign 1 2 2 2 Total 824 618 789 1007 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 1,218 913 1,166 1,488 Foreign 2 2 3 3 Total 1220 915 1168 1492
Final Report - 95 -
Year
Daily Demand for Starred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 3-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic Foreign 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 14 16 19 22 26 31 36 43 Total 793 1,022 1,316 1,696 2,143 2,708 3,390 4,242 5,309 6,644 8,316 10,407 13,025 16,302 20,402 25,534 31,957 39,996 50,058 62,650 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 1,173 1,511 1,947 2,508 3,170 4,006 5,014 6,276 7,855 9,831 12,305 15,401 19,276 24,127 30,197 37,795 47,305 59,208 74,106 92,752 Foreign 3 3 4 5 5 6 8 9 10 12 14 17 20 24 28 33 39 46 54 63 Total 1175 1514 1950 2512 3175 4013 5022 6285 7865 9844 12320 15418 19297 24150 30225 37828 47344 59254 74160 92815
Daily Demand for Starred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 5-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 1,319 1,700 2,190 2,821 3,566 4,507 5,641 7,060 8,837 11,060 13,843 17,326 21,686 27,143 33,972 42,520 53,219 66,609 83,369 104,346 Foreign 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 14 16 19 23 27 31 37 44 51 60 71 Total 1322 1703 2194 2827 3572 4514 5649 7070 8849 11074 13860 17346 21709 27169 34003 42557 53262 66660 83429 104417 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 1,954 2,518 3,244 4,180 5,283 6,677 8,357 10,460 13,092 16,386 20,509 25,669 32,127 40,211 50,329 62,992 78,842 98,680 123,510 154,587 Foreign 4 5 6 8 9 11 13 15 17 20 24 28 33 39 46 55 64 76 89 105 Total 1958 2523 3250 4187 5292 6688 8370 10475 13109 16406 20533 25697 32161 40251 50375 63047 78907 98756 123599 154692
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
791 1,020 1,314 1,693 2,140 2,704 3,385 4,236 5,302 6,636 8,306 10,396 13,012 16,286 20,383 25,512 31,931 39,966 50,021 62,608
Final Report - 96 -
Year
Daily Demand for Starred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 3-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic Foreign 50 59 70 82 97 Total 78,411 98,137 122,825 153,724 192,398 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 116,090 145,300 181,859 227,618 284,890 Foreign 75 88 103 122 143 Total 116164 145387 181963 227740 285033
Daily Demand for Starred Accommodation without Assuming Occupancy Rate for 5-Days Stay Without Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 130,601 163,462 204,592 256,070 320,501 Foreign 84 99 116 137 161 Total 130685 163561 204708 256207 320663 With Assuming Occupancy Rate Domestic 193,483 242,166 303,099 379,363 474,817 Foreign 124 146 172 203 239 Total 193607 242312 303271 379566 475056
2031 2032 2033 2034 2035
78,361 98,077 122,755 153,642 192,301
Final Report - 97 -
The table below presents demand-supply-gap analysis for starred accommodation, considering the occupancy rate the existing & committed/proposed supply in the reference region, for next 10 years time horizon. Table 3.55: Demand-Supply-Gap Analysis for Unstarred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District
Figures indicated are Number of Rooms
Year
Cumulative Demand for Unstarred Accommodation 3-Days Stay 5-Days Stay 3010 2259 2966 3893 5110 6582 8479 10923 13803 17442 5,017 3,765 4,943 6,488 8,517 10,971 14,132 18,205 23,005 29,071
Cumulative Supply of Unstarred Accommodation 867 867 889 --------
Cumulative Gap for Unstarred Accommodation 3-Days Stay 5-Days Stay 2143 1392 2077 3893 5110 6582 8479 10923 13803 17442 4150 2898 4054 6488 8517 10971 14132 18205 23005 29071
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Table 3.56: Demand-Supply-Gap Analysis for Starred Accommodation Facilities in Shimoga District
Figures indicated are Number of Rooms
Year
Cumulative Demand for Starred Accommodation 3-Days Stay 5-Days Stay 732 549 701 895 1175 1514 1950 2512 3175 4013 1,220 915 1,168 1,492 1,958 2,523 3,250 4,187 5,292 6,688
Cumulative Supply of Starred Accommodation 61 86 86
Cumulative Gap for Starred Accommodation 3-Days Stay 5-Days Stay 671 463 615 895 1175 1514 1950 2512 3175 4013 1159 829 1082 1492 1958 2523 3250 4187 5292 6688
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Final Report - 98 -
3.7
COMPLETED, ONGOING AND PROPOSED TORISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SHIMOGA DISTRICT

As stated above in section 2.1.5, T&T is a catalyst for construction and manufacturing. In 2009, the public and private sectors combined are expected to spend US$ 1,220.1 bn worldwide -9.4% of total investment, rising to US$ 2,589.7 bn or 9.3% of the total, in 2019. In the case of Government expenditure, Travel & Tourism is both a generator and receiver of government funds. Globally, in 2009, Travel & Tourism is expected to garner US$404.2 bn of government expenditures, or 3.9% of total expenditures. South Asia Travel & Tourism Capital Investment is estimated to total US$37.4 bn in 2009, or 7.7% of total regional capital investment. Government Travel & Tourism operating expenditures are estimated to total US$2.1 bn in 2009, or a 1.3% share. India, Travel & Tourism Capital Investment is estimated at INR 1,484.6 bn, US$30.9 bn or 7.3% of total investment in year 2009. By 2019 it is expected that it will reach INR 5,183.4 bn, US$ 94.5 bn or 7.1% of total. Government Travel & Tourism operating expenditures in India in 2009 are expected to total INR 62.4 bn (US$1.3 bn), or 1.0% of total government spending. In the case of Karnataka, the State its self holds many attractions in terms of tourist interest such as wildlife sanctuaries, Hill stations, beaches, plantations, historical monuments & monolithic statue and water falls. The topography of Karnataka is largely a reflection of the geology of the state. The Sahyadris are covered with evergreen forests. They drop abruptly towards the Arabian Sea, thus forming a natural barrier between the plateau and the coastal regions. There are four Ghats in Karnataka namely Subrahmanya Ghat, the Charmadi Ghat, the Shiradi Ghat, and the famous Agumbe Ghat which provide access to the coast. The Western Ghats slope gently towards the Bay of Bengal. The wild life sanctuaries at Bandipur, Nagarhole, Dandeli, and Ranganathittu which is itself a well known tourist center. There are many places of historic and religious importance. The great Acharyas, Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa, preached in this region. Great reformers like Sri Basaveshwara, mathematicians like Baskaracharaya, commentators like Sayana, saint poets like Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa, great writers like Pampa, Harihara and Kumara Vyasa have all enriched the heritage of Karnataka. In terms of tourist inflow, Karnataka State currently ranks as the 4th most popular destination in the country. As per the information gathered from Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, Karnataka accounted for 4.95 percent of the total foreign tourists visiting India during the year 2006 and ranked 8th among all the Indian states. In the case of domestic tourist, the overall contribution is 8.14 percent. Mysore accounts for the highest tourist arrivals in the State. The other major tourist destinations are Belur, Halebid, Jog falls, and Bijapur which together attract more than 75 percent of the total tourist arrivals in the State. Jog falls in Shimoga District has shown the highest growth in the total tourist arrivals in the last few years. As per the recent statistics, Shimoga alone accounts for 3.37 percent of the domestic tourist during 2008 and the foreign tourists, the overall contribution is 0.22 percent. Overall tourist inflow in the Shimoga District has witnessed positive growth rate of 90.63 % (1,215,781) during 2007 but during 2008 the tourist inflow has shown a negative growth rate of 25.10% (910,650). This is mainly due to reasons such as Lack of maintenance of the existing gardens and other major tourist places of attraction, Poor promotion and marketing (including packaging), Lack of availability of quality tourism infrastructure like starred hotels, resorts, amenities, etc., Poor connectivity and undeveloped area development schemes for tourist attractions, Inadequate signages and directions for the visiting tourists and Lack of trained manpower in terms of guides
Final Report - 99 -
The seasonal inflow it was observed that the flow of tourist especially the foreigners, were high during the month of October-January and for the domestic May and SeptemberJanuary in Shimoga district. In the case of origin of the tourist majority of domestic tourists are from Maharashtra, Kerala and Southern states, Gujarat, UP etc. regarding foreigners tourist majority of them are from France, Italy, German, USA, Holland, Japan, UK etc. Regarding the nature of the tourist, 60 percent of the tourist constitutes the leisure tourism and remaining 30 percent constitutes Heritage and Pilgrimage tourists such as Koodali Sanghama, Humcha etc. Tourism development requires quality infrastructure. Without improvement in the infrastructure in the existing tourism potential areas tourism development there has a bleak future. Furthermore, if community empowerment is to occur, growth policies need to go hand-in-hand with provision of basic services and development of human resources. KSDTC is the largest Travels Corporation of the State is a professionally run State government organization. KSDTC got established in the year 1971 and presently holds the mirror for the Karnatakas art and culture and infrastructure facilities in terms of Hospitality sector. KSTDC also conducted tours across the State, taking tourist across the renowned cities and gives an insight to the blend of culture and its growth. Mayura Group of Hotels the premium lodging and restaurants setup and maintained by KSTDC is known for their high standard of service and excellent hospitality. In terms of tourism promotional activities, The State government and KSTDC has already taken up some tourism projects on priority basis. These projects include development and protection of world heritage centers of Hampi and Pattadakal, Jog development in Shimoga district, development of beaches in coastal Karnataka, and luxurious Palace on Wheel project covering the key places of tourist interest in the state. In addition, GoK is also planning for reactivation and renovation of all the minor airports in the State. Beside developing interesting and convenient regional or Hub and spoke type tourist destinations, a lot of efforts are also being taken to form theme based circuits like Coastal circuit, Hill circuit, Wildlife circuit, Southern circuit, Northern circuit, Golf circuit, Jain pilgrimage circuit, Temple circuits, Mixed circuits, etc. Following table summarizes release of funds from the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka for tourism development in Shimoga District. Table 3.57: Existing Tourism Development Schemes in Shimoga District Year 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Total
Source: Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka
Amount Released (Rs. in Crores) 1595.55 2025.09 205.00 3825.64
Following table summarizes estimated cost and funds released for various ongoing tourism projects in Shimoga District. Table 3.58: Ongoing Tourism Development Projects in Shimoga District SI. No. 1. 2. Name of the Projects Construction of Yatri Nivas at Kuppali Construction of Yatri Nivas at Ambu Teertha Estimated Cost Amount Released (Rs. in Lakhs) (Rs. in Lakhs) 49.83 49.83 Implementing Agency
49.83 DC- Shimoga 49.83 DC- Shimoga
Final Report - 100 -
SI. No. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Name of the Projects Construction of Yatri Nivas at Togarsi Development of tourist facilities at Jog Falls Development of tourist facilities at Jog Falls Construction of Dormitory at Uduthady and Huchunarainak Kere Construction of Eco-Tourism resort at Bramana Ilekalale Development of tourist facilities at Lion Safari, Taverekoppa Jungle Camp at Sakrebyle from
Estimated Cost Amount Released (Rs. in Lakhs) (Rs. in Lakhs) 10.00 100.00 495.00 163.00
Implementing Agency
10.00 DC- Shimoga 100.00 Jog Authority 495.00 Jog Authority Management Management
84.25 Department of Tourism
7.
200.00
50.00 MD, Jungle Lodges & Resorts 165.00 DC- Shimoga
8.
200.00
9.
148.35 2110.00
121.68 Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF)- Shimoga 1778.80 Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) 30.00 DC- Shimoga 110.00 DC- Shimoga
10. Development of Road Sampekatte to Kodachadri
11. Construction of Yatri Nivas at Chandragutti 12. Construction of Yatri Nivas at Ramchandrapura Math 13. Development of tourist facilities at Jog under Destination Development Scheme 14. Development of International Standard Park at Linganamakki Reservoir Total
50.00 495.00
462.52
370.00 Jog Authority 396.00 Jog Authority
Management
494.98
Management
5028.51
3810.39
In addition to State funds projects tourism development project and its budgetary allocations, there are centrally funded and allocations for tourism development. At present there are more than 3650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance. These monuments belong to different periods, ranging from the prehistoric period to the colonial period and are located in different geographical settings. They include temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and secular architecture as well as ancient mounds and sites which represent the remains of ancient habitation. Especially in Karnataka there are 508 monuments are conserved, preserved and maintained by ASI. Out of which 25 monument are in Shimoga District. yearly funds allocation for conservation, preservation and maintenance of centrally protected monuments are shown in the table below.
Table 3.59: Funds Allocated for Conservation, Preservation & Maintenance of ASI Protected Monuments and Revenue Earned in Karnataka Year 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Fund Allocation (INR in Lakhs) 908.87 1418.77 1479.75 1350.00 Annual Growth Rate (%) -56.10 4.30 (8.77) Revenue (INR in Lakhs) 257.21 257.94 317.89 -Annual Growth Rate (%) -0.28 23.24 NA
In the case of Karnataka, KSDTC is the largest Travels Corporation of the State is a professionally run State government organization. KSDTC got established in the year 1971 and presently holds the mirror for the Karnatakas art and culture and infrastructure facilities in terms of Hospitality sector. KSTDC also conducted tours across the State, taking tourist across the renowned cities and gives an insight to the blend of culture and its growth. Mayura Group of Hotels the premium lodging and restaurants setup and maintained by KSTDC is known for their high standard of service and excellent hospitality.
4
4.1
PERCEPTION ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATIONS

INTRODUCTION
This chapter summarises the results of the primary survey of stakeholders - Foreign tourists, Domestic tourists, Tour operators and Travel agents, Industry associations, Tourism departments, other concerned government departments and experts. The basic purpose of the primary field survey was to obtain a first hand assessment of the ground realities at various tourist destinations in the district. The major tourist destinations in Shimoga were identified and plotted on a map. The major areas with a cluster of tourist destinations were segregated on the map and all these major clusters were covered during the field survey. The primary field survey envisaged interactions with major stakeholders at major tourist destinations in the state. The travel and tourism industry has a number of stakeholders: Tourists Foreign tourists Domestic tourists State Tourism department Government departments like Forest department, PWD, Water supply and sewerage department, Municipal corporations, Archeological Survey of India (ASI) etc. Hotel and Restaurant industry Developers The list of contacts made during the survey is shown in the table below
4.2
SURVEY FINDINGS
The sample size of the field survey is given in Table below; Table 4.1: Field Survey Matrix SI. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Tourist (foreign) Tourist (Domestic) Hoteliers Tour Operators Real Estate/ Developers Guides Retailers Government Officials Total Categories Surveyed (Nos.) 18 43 20 13 8 8 22 20 152
4.2.1 PERCEPTION ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATIONS

Perception surveys were carried out through a personal interview with some of the key stakeholder such as hotel chains, developers, tour operators, tourist (Domestic & Foreign) and government officials for identifying the key issues related to tourism and tourism infrastructure facilities which are presently lacking in the Shimoga distreict. At the same
the perception surveys and consultations were held with representatives of various stakeholders who are having presence in above mention district. The surveys and consultations was also intended to ascertain the perception of the above stakeholders on the tourism potential of the region & requisite improvement/ augmentation facilities in general, and willingness of the above key stakeholders to participate / take part in the project development as developer / promoter or user. Generally, all stakeholders highlighted the key issues and need to promote tourism activities in the district as a unanimous opinion was need for a strategy to address inadequacy in terms of quality accommodation facilities for both domestic and foreign tourists. In many cases stakeholders highlighted the deficiency quality dining restaurants and recreational facilities in all potential tourism areas as a prime issue followed by basic infrastructure facilities such as water supply, road and sanitation etc,.
4.2.2 ORIGIN OF TOURISTS

The tourists surveyed originated mainly from Germany, UK, France, Italy, Ireland, Egypt and Japan. Out of the above side countries, tourist from UK was comparatively more (27%) than other countries.
Gujarat 3% UP 7% Delhi 8% Tamil nadu 16%
Italy 7% France 5%
Japan 9%
Germany 19%
WB 7% Rajasthan 3% Orissa 7% Bihar 7% Maharashtra 22% Punjab 7%
Kerala 10%
Ireland 7% UK 27% Nigeria 5% Sweden 7% Netherlands 9%
Egy pt 5%
Sikkim 3%
Regarding domestic tourist maximum domestic tourist inflow into the state is from Maharashtra and the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Together, they account for 48 percent of total tourist turnover. A substantial number of tourists from the eastern part of India has also visited the state. In recent years, tourists from North India are also visiting the state the country of origin of tourists surveyed is presented in the chart below
4.2.3 PURPOSE OF VISIT

It is to be noted that the below chart captures the major theme attracting the surveyed tourists. Usually, combinations of themes complete the itinerary of tourists to the state. Say for example, majority of foreign tourist have come to enjoy both Leisure and cultural heritage.
Foreign Tourists
Adventure 16%
Adventure 17% Business Conference 6%
Domestic Tourists
Leisure 28%
Leisure 44%
Business Conference 21%

Culture/Heritage 33%
Culture/Heritage 35%
Unlike the foreign tourists, leisure was the dominant theme among domestic tourists. The other popular theme was culture / heritage.
4.2.4 TOUR PACKAGE

Majority of the foreign as well as domestic tourist, i.e. 90 percent were found traveling without a package tour program and 10 percent of them were found to be traveling with a tour package program. It was observed that even the tourists who were traveling on package tour, would be traveling only a part of their tour in a package tour. This is mainly because of poor connectivity and lack of information about tourist potential area.
4.2.5 MODE OF TRANSPORT

It is to be noted that a lot of tourists use a combination of transport modes to reach the destination from their respective port of entry. In the case of domestic and foreign tourist majority of the respondent said that their main modes of transport were road & rail. During survey, some of the foreigners also expressed the absences of air connectivity as a major issue from the major cities to Shimoga district.
Domestic Tourists
Foreign Tourists
Others 14% Airport 1% Rail 50% Road 35%

Airport 34% Others 2% Rail 35%
Road 29%
It is to be noted that a lot of tourists also used a combination of transport modes to reach the destination from their respective state or places. On an average the combination of rail & road were found to be maximum.
4.2.6 AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY

Regarding the average length of stay, majority (49%) of domestic tourist preferred to stay only for two days followed by one day (28%). But in the case of foreign tourist majority of the respondent preferred to stay in the destination for two day (39%) followed by three days (30%).
Domestic Tourists
more than 3 6% three days 17%
Foreign Tourists
one day 28%
more than 3 12%
one day 19%
three days 30% two days 39%
two days 49%
The variation in stay is mainly because, the people who were visiting from the neighbouring states of Karnataka tend to spend less time than the people who are coming from the distant places. Majority of the tourists were not much focussed as far as covering the destinations was concerned.
4.2.7 FREQUENCY OF VISIT

In the case of foreign tourist 89 percent of the respondents were visiting the destination for the first time. However, 11 percent of the tourists were also found to have visited the state more than once. Majority of these repeat visitors were found at Bangalore and at Hampi. Almost all the foreign tourists who were survey expressed their willingness and interest to visit the destination in future until till unless there is proper connectivity and civic amenities in the tourist destination.
Domestic Tourists
Foreign Tourists
First Visit 89%
First Visit 81%
Repeat Visit 11%
Repeat Visit 19%
Similarly, majority (81%) of domestic tourist were found to be visiting the destination for the first time and the remaning 19 percent of them were repeat visitors. Majority of these repeat visitors consist of pilgrim tourists from the neighbouring South Indian states, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Almost all the tourists surveyed expressed their willingness and interest to visit the destination in future as well.
4.2.8 TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION

The below mentioned chart clearly show that majority (64%) of domestic as well as foreign tourist prefer to stay in budget hotels followed by star category hotels, Home stay and friends & relatives. This is mainly because of non availability of standard starred category hotels and the facilities provided by the existing starred category were comparatively equal to that of budget category at a nominal rate.
Domestic Tourists
Foreign Tourists
Budget hotels 64%
Star Hotel 40%
Budget hotels 51%
Friends & Relatives 6% Star Hotel 24% Home stay 6%

Home stay Friends & Relatives 7% 2%
4.2.9 PROBLEMS FACED DURING STAY

The problems the foreign tourists had to face while staying and travelling in the state were mainly pertaining to the following aspects: Food: Although the availability of choice foods for the domestic tourists has not been a problem these days, the foreign tourists were confronted with the problem. Very often, they had to search for cuisine satisfying their own taste. Transportation: The local transport or the conveyance was a problem for the tourists mainly in the small towns, villages or places located a bit away from the main town or district head quarters. They were not only costly but also inconvenient at times. Proper tourist information about the destinations and places of interests was reported to be inadequate. Accessibility: Accessibility to all the places of interest in the state was one of the major problems. Lack of proper transport connectivity to the places located in comparatively remote places, away from the main town and cities, was of main concern to them. A lot of both time and money was reported to have been wasted to visit such places of importance. Emergency Health Care and instant medical facilities were another aspect that the tourists were concerned about. Practically, such facilities are not available in most of the places of tourist attraction. A few of the foreign tourists had to face a lot of inconvenience when they needed immediate medical attention. Resident or doctor on call service was not available in the starred category hotels in the state. Banking facilities: The insufficient number of ATM facilities and foreign exchange dealers at the tourist destinations was another problem faced by the tourists. No acceptance of Credit Card payment by majority of shops and other similar institutions was reported to be a major inconvenience. Safety and Security: Although the safety and security aspect have never posed major problems in the state particularly with respect to the tourists, a need for more number of security measures in places like beach and lonely hill stations was felt necessary by the foreigners. Harassment and cheating by the local miscreants, particularly to their female members, was a matter of concern to most foreign tourists. Pollution and cleanliness: The increased pollution of the general environment and the need for cleanliness at many of the places of tourist interest was pointed out by many of the foreigners. They were particularly shocked and surprised to see the lack of maintenance at hotels and public facilities.
4.2.10 PROBLEMS FACED DURING STAY- DOMESTIC TOURIST

Transportation: The local transport or the conveyance was a problem for the tourists mainly in the small towns, villages or places located a bit away from the main town or district head quarters. They were not only costly but also inconvenient at times. The need for proper night Bus services was also felt. Inadequate tourist information about the destinations and places of interests. Safety and Security: Although the safety and security aspect have never posed major problems in the state particularly with respect to the tourists, a need for more security measures in places like beach and lonely hill stations was felt. It was felt so as to get rid of harassment and cheating by the local miscreants particularly to their female members. Difficulty in getting cheaper and better hotels.
4.2.11 SUGGESTIONS ON IMPROVING THE TOURIST DESTINATION

Setting up of more number of information outlets at destinations and entry points. Transportation and accessibility to all the tourist destinations and places of interest. Frequency of the transport needs to be improved. More government buses and private are required in the form charted trip.
Improvement of basic civic facilities near the potential tourist destinations. Better and cheaper accommodation and local conveyance such as pre-paid auto and taxis at the destinations for mostly frequented by the tourists. Facility of swimming, surfing and boating in the beaches. Security measures at tourist destinations (especially beaches and hill stations) More publicity through media about the destinations. Improvement of the hotel services and the need to become more tourists friendly. Better informed guides and travel / tour operators. More standard and quality hotels near to the beaches. Construction and augmentation of rail connectivity to major destination from major cities such Bangalore, Mangalore etc. Recreation in terms of theme park, light and sound shows at the major tourist destination.
5
5.1
CASE STUDIES ON TOURISM FOCUSED DEVELOPMENTS

PREAMBLE
As stated earlier, Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In addition, Tourism industry is plays vital for many countries, due to the large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines and taxis, hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts, and entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, various music venues and the theatre. A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps." Further, the destination can be classified into integrated tourism destination, were a place has been specifically defined for entertainment purpose and it has all the activities in a defined boundary, mainly created by man. In the other hand, the tourist destination can be classified into theme based tourism destination, were the area is sector specific. The sector specific tourism destinations are classified based in tourism significance such as Heritage, Religious, Eco / Wildlife and Adventure / Leisure tourism. This section of the report will describe a list of successful tourism case studies which are environmentally friendly manner and attracting visitors at the same time. These case studies show that how a destination can be improved based on the location, topography and its tourism significance. In addition it also gives a tips indigenous tourism businesses and its success, best marketing tools etc,. Nearly all organizations including the NGOs and youth organizations can take simple steps to improve the tourist destination and also the environmental performance to capitalize on the beautiful nature of our destination.
5.2
INTEGRATED TOURISM DESTINATION
5.2.1 INTRODUCTION
Amusement park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group of people. An amusement park is more elaborate than a simple city park or playground, usually providing attractions meant to cater to adults, teenagers, and small children. A theme park is a type of amusement park which has been built around one or more themes. However, the terms amusement parks and theme parks are often used interchangeably. Amusement/ Theme parks are capital intensive, highly developed, self-contained recreational spaces which invariably charge admission. The entertainment, rides, specialty foods and park buildings are usually organized around themes or unifying ideas such as a specific period in history or a particular geographic region. These themes are crucial to the operation of the parks as they create a feeling of involvement in a setting which is in stark contrast to daily life.
Most amusement parks have a fixed location, as compared to traveling funfairs and carnivals. These temporary types of amusement parks are usually present for a few days or weeks per year, such as funfairs in the United Kingdom, and carnivals (temporarily set up in a vacant lot or parking lots) and fairs (temporarily operated in a fair ground) in the United States.
5.2.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF AMUSEMENT PARKS

Theme parks were developed in Europe from leisure gardens. The oldest amusement park of the world (since 1583) is Bakken at Klampenborg (north of Copenhagen) which is still in operation. In the USA, world fairs and expos induced a real expansion of the amusement park business. The Feast of St. Bartholomew (since 1133 yearly hold in England), is the father for amusement and theme parks. Theme parks became popular at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, such as the Vauxhall Gardens (1661) in London, or Prater (1766) in Vienna. Another type of fair is the World Exhibition or Expo. World Expos started in 1851 with the Crystal Palace in Londons Hyde Park. The Worlds Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago is an early pioneer of the modern theme park and introduced the Ferris wheel. To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Midway Plaisance. Rides from this fair captured the imagination of visitors and of amusement parks around the world. Also, the experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place. In 1894, Paul Boynton Water Chutes opened the world's first new amusement park and charged entrance for the rides. In 1895, he also built a park at Coney Island (New York), which is still very popular. By the early 1900s, there were hundreds of theme parks worldwide, and it was the period of the golden age until the late 1920s, mainly due to the increase of income and the decrease of labor time. This era saw the development of the new innovations in roller coasters that encouraged extreme drops and speeds to thrill the riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by the roller coasters. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War saw the affluent urban population move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often.
5.2.3 MODERN AMUSEMENT PARKS

Modern amusement parks now run differently than those of years past. Amusement parks are usually owned by a large corporate conglomerate which allows capital investment unknown by the traditional family-owned parks. Starting with Disneyland in the 1950s, the park experience became part of a larger package, reflected in a television show, movies, lunch boxes, action figures and finally park rides and costumed characters that make up the "theme." These parks offer a world with no violence or social problems. The thrills of the theme parks are often obscured from the outside by high fences or barriers reenforcing the feeling of escape, they are kept clean and new thrill rides are frequently
added to keep people coming back. In addition to this experience, the theme park is either based on a central theme or, divided into several distinctly themed areas. Often a theme park will have various sections of the park devoted to telling a particular story. Non-theme amusement park rides will usually have little in terms of theme or additional design elements while in a theme park all the rides go all with the theme of the park, for example Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The popularity of theme parks has led to the increase of theming -- "the use of an overarching theme, such as western, to create a holistic and integrated spatial organization of a consumer venue", even in nontheme park venues. A modern theme park includes a combination of attractions which can be classified into several categories: thrill rides, roller coasters, family rides, water attractions or (indoor) dark rides.
5.2.4 RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS

Mechanized thrill machines are what makes an amusement park out of a pastoral, relaxing picnic grove or retreat. Earliest rides include the carousel which was originally developed as a way of practicing and then showing-off expertise at tournament skills such as riding and spearing the ring. By the 19th century, carousels were common in parks around the world. Another such ride which shaped the future of the amusement park was the roller coaster. Beginning as a winter sport in 17th century Russia, these gravity driven railroads were the beginning of the search for even more thrilling amusement park rides. The Columbian Exposition of 1893 was a particular fertile testing ground for amusement rides. The Ferris wheel is the most recognized product of the fair. All rides are usually set round a theme. An amusement park contains a mixture of rides and attractions which can be divided into several categories. Thrill Rides Thrill rides mainly include spinning people at high speed coupled with other accelerations. These rides have become a staple for the modern amusement parks. There is a core set of thrill rides which most amusement parks have, including the enterprise, tilt-a-whirl, the gravitron, chair swing, swinging inverter ship, twister, and the top spin. However, there is constant innovation, with new variations on ways to spin and throw passengers around appearing in an effort to keep attracting customers. Roller Coasters Since the late 19th century, amusement parks have featured roller coasters. Roller coasters feature steep drops, sharp curves, and inversions. Roller coasters may be the most attractive aspect of a park, but many people come for other reasons. Amusement parks generally have anywhere from
two to seven coasters, depending on space and budget. As of 2009, the record for the most coasters in one park is held by Cedar Point with 17; followed by Six Flags Magic Mountain with 16, Canada's Wonderland with 15, and Kings Island with also 15. In essence a specialized railroad system, a roller coaster consists of a track that rises in designed patterns, sometimes with one or more inversions (such as vertical loops) that turn the rider briefly upside down. The track does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters exhibit. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained. An entire set of cars hooked together is called a train. Roller Coasters are usually the "must ride" attraction at amusement & theme parks for more than a century. Roller coasters are often called "scream machines". What began as a simple car that rolled down a hill has evolved into an engineering marvel. Roller coasters are taller, faster and wilder than ever. The tallest is the size of modern skyscrapers. The fastest travels at nearly twice the highway speed limit. For thrill-seekers it is the excitement a roller coaster offers. Water Rides: Amusement parks with water resources generally feature a few water rides, such as the log flume, bumper boats, and rowing boats. Such rides are usually gentler and shorter than roller coasters and many are suitable for all ages. Water rides are especially popular on hot days. Long Flume: The ride usually culminates with a rapid descent and splashdown into a body of water, and often more than one (normally the largest drop being just before the end). It provides people with a fun way to get wet and cool off on a hot summer day, with certain seating sections usually being splashed with more water for a more exciting and wet ride. Part of the excitement is the randomness of the water splashing onto riders. Bumper Boats: uses inner tube shaped watercraft that can be steered by the rider. Some are driven by electric motors, some by gasoline engines, and some require the rider to propel the craft by pedaling. Apart from the basic rides discussed above there can huge variations in the offerings which are captured in the case studies attached. Transport Rides: Transport rides are used to take large amounts of guests from one area in
the park to another. They usually cost extra, even in parks where rides are free. They are generally popular as they offer an alternative to walking (riding on a train). Transport rides include chairlifts, monorails, and train rides. Chairlift: It is an elevated passenger ropeway, a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. Monorail: A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guide way. Train rides: Amusement park trains have had long and varied history in amusement parks. The earliest park trains weren't really trains -- they were trolleys. The earliest park trains were mostly custom built. A train ride in an amusement park is an attraction consisting of a miniature train, often running on a permanent or portable track, but sometimes without any track whatsoever. In the latter case, these trains are simulated by connecting railroad-like cars behind an ordinary or modified motor vehicle. This type of ride is often conducted as a sightseeing tour of the surroundings.
5.2.5 CUISINE
Amusement parks generate a sizable portion of their income through the sale of food and drink to their patrons. Food is routinely sold through food booths, push carts and indoor restaurants. The offerings vary as widely as the amusement parks themselves, and range from common fast food items, like hamburgers and hot dogs, and local street foods up to full-service gourmet dishes. Amusement parks with exotic themes may include specialty items or delicacies related to the park's theme. Many restaurants and food stands are operated by the amusement parks themselves, while others are branches of regional or national chains.
5.2.6 ADMISSION PRICES AND ADMISSION POLICIES

Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending the park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs. Most theme parks charge for car parking and ticket prices do not include food, which can be very costly. Almost all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles: Pay as you go (paying for rides individually) or Pay one price (one big admission charge, for (almost) all of the attractions). Pay-as-you-go: In this format, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like a token). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. The park may allow guests to purchase unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission. Disneyland opened in 1955 using the pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A," "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for the larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the now-famous "E-ticket," which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982. The advantages of pay-as-you-go include: guests pay for only what they choose to experience attraction costs can be changed easily to encourage use or capitalize on popularity
The disadvantages of pay-as-you-go include: guests may get tired of spending money almost continuously guests may not spend as much on food or souvenirs Pay-one-price: An amusement park using the pay-one-price format will charge guests a single, large admission fee, with discounts for children and senior residents. The guest is then entitled to use almost all of the attractions in the park as often as they wish during their visit. The park might have some attractions that are not included in the admission charge; these are called "up-charge attractions" and can include bungee jumping or gokart tracks or games of skill. However, the majority of the park's attractions are included in the admission cost. The pay-one-price ticket was first used by George Tilyou at Steeplechase Park, Coney Island in 1897. The entrance fee to the 15-acre (61,000 m2) park entitled visitors to enjoy all of the attractions as much as they wanted. The advantages of pay-one-price include: guests can more easily budget their visit guests may be more likely to experience an attraction they've already paid for The disadvantages of pay-one-price include: guests who are simply coming just to be with their families will have to pay anyway
5.3
INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES
5.3.1 GENTING HIGHLANDS, MALAYSIA

Genting Highlands, only fifty kilometers (less than an hour) from Kuala Lumpur, is the most developed hill resort in Malaysia. At 2,000 meters above sea level, it offers a cool respite from Malaysia's capital city combined with all of the excitement, luxury, and entertainment of an international resort destination. Since the opening of the first hotel in 1971, Genting Highlands Resort continued to grow from strength to strength. The development of the area continued to this present day to enhance Genting Highlands Resort as the premier holiday destination in the region while ensuring that the natural beauty of the rain forest is maintained. To date, Genting Highlands Resort has five hotels (namely Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and First World Hotel) and two apartment blocks (Ria and Kayangan Apartments) at the hilltop and Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort.
Together with integrated world-standard entertainment facilities encompassing various leisure, indoor and outdoor theme parks and gaming facilities, Genting Highlands Resort has become the "City of Entertainment" and Malaysia's Premier Resort. The resort also includes two theme parks, both with dozens of amusement rides and attractions suitable for the entire family. In addition, the Awana horse ranch offers equestrian activities, rides for children and lessons for beginners. For golfers, the Awana Golf and Country Resort offers a challenging 18-hole, par-71 golf course. The Genting Theme Park is a sprawling, multi-million Ringgit theme park with over 40 rides that are either indoor or outdoor. The park is easily accessed by road Kuala Lumpur or cable car from the foothill. Some of the highlights are the roller coaster, tube drop, Flight Simulator and Splash Pool. The park is a destination for those after fast-paced excitement as it is full of amusement games, interactive rides and superb shows. There are also many restaurants and eateries inside the covered area where you can eat to your fill after some fun-filled activities. Besides the rides, visitors can do shopping in The First World Plaza where there are over 70 outlets selling things such as trendy merchandise and fashion accessories. There is the Arena of Stars, a hall that offers a wide range of concerts staged by international superstars frequently. Major Attractions: The major attractions include Thrill Rides, Spinner, Cyclone, Bumper Boats, Corkscrew, Family Rides, Tea Cup, Flying Jumbo, Boating, and Dinosaur Land. Snapshots of some of the rides are shown below.
In addition to the above rides, the park also offers Children rides which include Busy Bugs, Rodeo Rider, etc. Package Cost: A package tour for 5 days and 4 nights would be approximately Rs 60,000 per person
5.3.2 DISNEYLAND, FLORIDA, USA

Disneyland is located southwest of Orlando, Florida, covering an area of about 30, 080 acres. It is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; twenty-three themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt Disney Company. An amusement park contains a mixture of attractions which can be divided into several categories such as Theme Parks, water sports, Golf and recreation and hotels and resorts Major Attractions: Disneyland is a theme park where rides, shows and attractions are organized and decorated around certain themes instead of being separately designed and decorated, like at an amusement park. In addition the above said attractions there are high class resort by Walt Disney. Walt Disney World Resort The various components of the resort include: Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park Epcot theme park Magic Kingdom theme park Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
Disney's Board Walk Area Downtown Disney Area Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Disney Resort hotels
Magic Kingdom Park Enchanting entertainment, classic attractions, beloved Disney Characters and spectacular parades and fireworks in a place where fairytale dreams can come true.
Epcot Attractions and entertainment dedicated to technological innovation and the culture and cuisine of 11 nations.
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Attractions for the whole familyfrom fast waterslides to a children's area with pint-sized raft rides. Catch 6-foot waves in the Surf Pool and snorkel Shark Reefwith real sharks!
Disney's Blizzard Beach Featuring one of the world's tallest and fastest waterslides, as well as slides and rides for the whole family.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Park The world's largest animal-themed park full of attractions, adventure and fantastic animals. Other Attractions
Disney's Hollywood Studios Shows, attractions and tours offering behind-thescenes glimpses of Hollywood-style action.
Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Disney's Wedding Pavilion, Disney's Board Walk, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, Walt Disney World Speedway and Downtown Disney
Thrill rides Thrill rides mainly include spinning people at high speed coupled with other accelerations. These rides have become a staple for the modern amusement parks. There is a core set of thrill rides which most amusement parks have, including the enterprise, tilt-a-whirl, the graviton, chair swing, swinging inverter ship, twister, and the top spin. However, there is constant innovation, with new variations on ways to spin and throw passengers around appearing in an effort to keep attracting customers. Tilt-A-Whirl: It is a platform-type ride, consisting of seven freely-spinning cars that hold four riders each, which are attached at fixed pivot points on a rotating platform. As the platform revolves, parts of the platform are raised and lowered, and the resulting centrifugal and gravitational forces on the cars cause them to randomly spin in different directions and at variable speeds. The weight of passengers in these cars may intensify or dampen the spinning motion of the cars, adding to the random nature of the motion. Graviton: The ride is completely enclosed, with 45 padded panels lining the inside wall. Riders lean against these panels, which are angled back. As the ride rotates, centrifugal force is exerted against the pads by the rider, removing the rider from the floor, due to the slant. The ride can reach a maximum speed of 24 rpm in less than 20 seconds, due to the 33 kW 3-phase motor. At this speed, the riders are experiencing centripetal force equivalent to four times the force of gravity. The ride operator is located in the center of the ride. Part of the operator's duty is to control lighting and music in addition to the ride itself. Some variants include Closed-circuit television cameras, allowing waiting riders and passersby to observe the ride in action. Package Cost: A package tour for 6 days and 5 nights would be approximately Rs 150,000 - 200,000 per person
5.3.3 SENTOSA, SINGAPORE

Earlier Sentosa was once a fishing village known as Pulau Blakang Mati. It later became a British military fortress until 1967 and was handed back to the newly independent Singapore Government. In 1968, the Government decided to develop the island into a holiday resort for local visitors and tourists. The public was invited to suggest names for the island and "Sentosa" - meaning peace & tranquility in Malay - was eventually chosen for the island resort. Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) was constituted on 1st September, 1972 as a statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Presently Sentosa is Singapore's premier island resort getaway with multi-faceted appeal, teeming with events all year round.
It is just 20 minutes from the city accessible through cable car. it is a unique blend of leisure and recreational facilities including family attractions, sea sports, golf as well as hotel accommodation and retreats. It covers an area of about 5000 acres with 3.2kilometre stretch of white sand beach. It also offers beachfront accommodation and over 670 hotel rooms with full facilities. The Sentosa offering will be enhanced and strengthened when Resorts World at Sentosa opens in 2010. Spanning 49 hectares, this S$6.59-billion (~Rs. 30,973 Crores) mega resort will feature Southeast Asias first and only Universal Studios theme park, the worlds largest Oceanarium, the regions first integrated destination spa as well as some 1,800 rooms spread across six hotels with varying themes. Major Attractions: A central player within the emerging multi-billion dollar Sentosa-Harbor Front leisure precinct, Sentosa is Singapores premier island resort getaway and Asias leading leisure destination, receiving over 6 million visitors yearly. Just minutes from the city, this 500-hectare resort island is home to a plethora of themed attractions, awardwinning spa retreats, lush rainforests, white sandy beaches, resort accommodation, championship golf courses, a deep-water yachting marina and luxury residences. Some of the keys highlights are described below: Tiger Sky Tower: Singapore's tallest observatory tower offers panoramic views at 131 metres above sea level across Singapore, Sentosa, Southern Islands, right up to neighboring Malaysia and the Indonesian islands. The Tiger Sky Tower has a capacity of 72 in its enclosed, air-conditioned cabin. Day or night, views from the tower promise to be both scenic and breathtaking. Located adjacent to the Sentosa cable car station, the Tiger Sky Tower is a key point of interest and forms a distinctive landmark as it soars above the surrounding natural greenery. Cable Car: The 1.6 km ride to and from Sentosa offers expansive views of lush greenery and stunning coastal sights. 4D Magix: The state-of-the-art 4D movie theatre offers a whole new generation of movie magic. Through the synchronization of a full spectrum of visual effects, surround sound, individually-controlled motion seats and special environmental effects such as water spray, etc. Dolphin Lagoon: In the Dolphin Lagoon one gets to observe the highly intelligent IndoPacific Humpback Dolphins through a series of interactive, feeding and training sessions specially designed to demonstrate their natural ability of tail-walking synchronization. Lucky visitors might even score a peck on the cheek, or a chance to wade next to them, fully supervised by the trainers, of course. Underwater World: The Underwater World Oceanarium on Sentosa is home to more than 2,500 fishes from 250 different species. The Touch Pool for some 'hands on' experience with starfish, stingrays and baby sharks. A moving travellator ferries visitors to the ocean floor through an 83-metre-long acrylic tunnel. The person is surrounded by sharks, stingrays, eels and schools of fish glide past - engrossed in their own world. Interactive programmes such as 'Dive with the Sharks' or 'Dive with the Dugong' are available upon advance booking. Luge & Sky ride: Part go-cart, part-toboggan, pure excitement - the luge is a fun-filled gravity ride that's safe for all ages. With a unique steering and braking system that allows the ride as leisurely or as exciting as one wants. Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom: The Butterfly Park allows one to stroll through the lush surrounds and 1,500 live butterflies - from over 50 species - to flutter around as one enjoys the cool outdoor conservatory.
Songs of the Sea: Songs of the Sea brings a mesmerizing show with a live cast and dramatic effects pyrotechnics, water jets, brilliant lasers, special computer imaging, captivating music and stunning flame bursts. It is a one-of-a-kind entertainment that's not to be missed. Songs of the Sea is an outdoor, rain or shine event. Package Cost: Attractions Underwater World Singapore and Dolphin Lagoon The Merlion & Merlion Walk Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom Sentosa Luge & Skyride Sky Tower The Flying Trapeze Sentosa 4D Magix Rate (INR) Adult: INR 644.00 Adult : INR 264.00 Adult: INR 330.00 INR: 297.00 INR: 396.00 INR: 231.00 (per swing) Adult: INR 528.00
5.3.4 WILD WADI WATER PARK, DUBAI, UAE

The Wild Wadi Water Park is situated in Jumeirah, an area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, covering an area of about 12 acres. The water park is operated by Jumeirah International, a Dubai-based hotelier. Wild Wadi is an outdoor water park with heated and cooled wave pools, multiple water slides and two artificial surfing machines. In addition, the park has the largest water slide outside of North America. The water park also has two gift shops, three restaurants and two snack stands. There are close to 30 rides, most are interconnected, allowing riders to move from one to the other without ever leaving the water. Major Attraction The Wipeout and Riptide Flow Riders offer the ultimate surfing experience. One of only four such rides in the world, and devised by the maverick American lawyer/ surf fanatic Thomas Lochtefeld, the Wipeout works by shooting out more than seven tonnes of water per second in a thin sheet across a molded foam structure, producing a realistic wave effect ideal for body-boarding and knee-boarding Master Blasters: White Water Wadi, Jebel Lookout Wadi Leap, Hos'N Hurler, Falaj Fury, Wadi Twister, Wadi Basher and Flood River Flyer. In this riders sit in inflatable rings and are propelled uphill by high-power water jets.
Breakers Bay: The largest wave pool in the Middle East, Breaker's Bay produces parallel and crossing 1.5 m waves in five different configurations. Flood River: Circling the Flow Riders, Flood River features unannounced surges of 100,000 liters of water, creating waves over 1.0 m high and sudden river rapids. Juhas Journey: Juha's Journey is a 360 m long lazy river. Guests of all ages can enjoy this relaxing ride around a river with a gentle current. Juhas Dhow: water cannons, body slides and other water-based games. Wadi Wash: A choreographed sound and light show. Jumeirah Sceirah: Jumeirah Sceirah or one of the many uphill waterslides throughout the park. In addition to all the rides, the Wild Wadi Water Park offers numerous restaurants and shops. Package Cost: Daily Admission Tariff - General Admission - INR 2,438; Child (under 1.1 m in height) - INR 2,063. A package tour for 6 days and 5 nights would be approximately INR. 75,000 - 120,000 per person
5.3.5 WET-N-WILD WATER PARK - ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Wet 'n Wild Water Park in Orlando was voted by Amusement Business magazine as America's number one water park. Located at Orlando, Florida and is operated by NBC Universal (General Electric). This amusement park covers an area of about 30 acres next to Warner Bros. Movie World on the M1 Pacific Motorway, 20 km north of Surfers Paradise. Although the park opened in 1977, it regularly adds new rides regularly and caters to all in a family Wet 'n Wild is open year-round (with heated pools in cooler weather). It combines all the fun and excitement of the world's latest water slides and leisure pools with a shaded twenty acre subtropical garden Major Attractions Thrill rides - Some of the rides available at the Wet n Wild Park are The Storm, Mach 5, Der Stuka, Bomb Bay, Knee Ski, Wake Skating, and The Wild One The Storm: Steep tunnel sends you flying down extremely fast into a giant bowl that sends you spinning around with surrounding mist Mach 5: Tower top has three slides to choose from. Flumes fall 1,700 feet over three different courses. Der Stuka: Push yourself down a six-story speed slide that sends you flying down a 250foot, nearly vertical drop that transitions to a 115-foot water runway. Bomb Bay: Go inside this rocket with heart beat affects waiting there not knowing when the trap door that sends you downs a 76-foot, nearly vertical slide drops you to the depths below. Knee Ski: A cable-operated ski lets you kneeboard like a pro around a half-mile long lake.
Wake Skating: Everyone from beginner to expert can show their stuff on the WakeZone Cableway. The Wild One: Two people are pulled by a Jet Ski around the lake on big, bouncy tubes that make for a wild ride. Apart from the water rides some of the hotels available at the Park are Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. Package Cost: Daily Admission Tariff- INR 1,878 for a single day for adults and INR 1,596 for a single day for children ages 3-9.
5.3.6 KISHKINTA, CHENNAI, INDIA

Kishkinta is the name of the legendary monkey kingdom in the Indian epic Ramayana, a kingdom full of fun and frolic and it is wholesome family entertainment. Kishkinta is located in Tambaram, 120 acres and has landscaped hills and lakes and ranks among the best of Amusement parks in the country. Apart from the popular amusement activities, Kishkinta is also known for its Hi Tech amusement rides like space shuttle, wave pool White water and kiddies kingdom. kishkinta is INR 250 million project. jointly promoted by Navodaya Films (Pvt.) Ltd Chennai, Berjaya Leisure, Malaysia and Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), a Govt. of Tamilnadu undertaking. Major Attractions: The major attractions have been shown below:
Wave Pool: A beach that has everything except sand. Crystal clear water and rollicking waves makes ones day. Slides This 6 track water slide 180 feet long starts at the top of the hill. Families and friends Slide together and are thrilled falling together in the pool.
Water Volcano: 5 lakh liters of water gushing out in 5 seconds with huge waves, earthquake, mist, & sound effects. Go-Kart: Yank, spin and wheeze through a smooth race track. No sweat, you are driving top speed and in perfect shade. Formula -1 speed freaks love this specially designed racing machines
Water Scooter: Flying saucers in water. First in an Indian amusement park. Zip across Kishkintas Great Lake with spectacular effect. Flume Ride The Flume Ride begins gently enough. Slowly drifts down the deceptively placid stream which climbs a 35 feet hill and falls all the way to crash with a drenching splash in the pool.
Thrillarium Of the hi-tech variety, this virtual reality show has the state-of-the-art entertainment software that transports one into another world of unknown realities in ten minutes. Road Train The Road Train carries dozens of people around the lake and over the country-side.
Rain Disco It is a 2500 square feet open air discotheque with 12 monkey statues spurting 96 tiny jets of water on families and friends rocking to popular songs. Package Cost: Daily Admission Tariff - INR 360 for a single day for adults, and INR. 260 for children.
5.4
THEME BASED TOURISM DESTINATION
5.4.1 ADVENTURE TOURISM IN LADAKH

Ladakh is bounded by two of the worlds mightiest mountain ranges - the Himalayas and the Karakoram. It lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet at Kargil to 25,170 feet at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. The summer temperature rarely exceed about 27 degree Celsius in the shade, while in winter they plummet to even minus 20 degree in places such as Leh. But the thin air makes the heat of the sun even more intense than at lower altitudes; it is even said that only in Ladakh can a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time.
Ladakh offers great scope for undertaking adventure activities amidst breathtaking landscapes. The most popular and established activities are trekking, mountaineering and river-rafting. River Rafting in LadakhA range of rafting options is available on the Indus River and its tributaries. The best stretch for professionally guided runs in white water is on the Indus between Spituk and Saspol. Beyond Saspol, the River becomes difficult. Upward of Spituk, the Indus has easy stretch up to Karu, ideal for basic training and for day-return scenic floating for amateurs. The difficult but exciting option for river running is on Zanskar along its spectacular course through the gorge in the Zanskar mountains, between Padum and Nimo. This is suitable only for well organized white-water expedition, prepared for several days of river running and camping in absolute wilderness. Participants are required to be trained rafters themselves while the arrangements should be assigned to a dependable professional agency. An adequate arrangement for rescue coverage is an essential pre-requisite for embarking upon a white -water expedition on river like the Zanskar. Trekking in LadakhTrekking possibilities include short, day-long walks up and down mountain slopes to visit of isolated villages or monastic settlements, across a ridge to enjoy the sheer beauty of the lunar mountain scape, etc. Long, trans-mountain treks involving weeks of walking and camping in the wilderness. For example, the trek from Lamayuru in the Indus valley to Darcha in Lahoul across Zanskar takes nearly three weeks. Most of the established routes traverse the Zanskar range which separates the Indus Valley from Zanskar. The 10- day Markha valley trek, the 11- day Lamayuru - Padum traverse and the stock-Khangri round trek are the more popular ones among the numerous options available in this convoluted mountain mass. In recent years, parts of the Ladakh range between the Indus and Shayok valleys have also become available for trekking. The traditional trekking season extends from early June to mid-October. But localized treks within the Indus Valley can undertaken even in May. On the other hand, some routes are suitable only for late autumn as during the summer, the bed of narrow valleys through which the tracks lie become turbulent streams, as in the case of the 13 - day HemisMarkha-Padum trek. The winter access to the Zanskar Valley is actually along the frozen surface of the Zanskar River. This route, known as Chaddar, calls for elaborate arrangements, but it is perhaps the most exciting trek in the world. Mountain Climbing in LadakhThe area most frequented by climbers is the Nun-Kun Massif in the Great Himalayan Range. It is easy accessibility from the Kargil-Pudum road and the shortest possible approach to the base camps makes this the most attractive climbing destination in the Great Himalaya, necessitating advance booking years ahead. Among its six known peaks accessible from the Suru Valley, Nun (7,135m) and Kun (7,077m ) are the highest summits. The climbing season extends from mid - May to mid -October, the ideal period being from June to September because during this time only Ladakh remains unaffected by the monsoon which holds sway over most of the Himalaya. Foreign climbing expeditions are
required to obtain permission from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation for climbing all listed peaks. A booking fee, based on the height and popularity of the allotted peak, is charged and a Liaison Officer is assigned to every climbing team. The minimum period required for processing applications is six months. Every authorized expedition is provided with adequate rescue coverage in the events of accidents and illness.
5.4.2 ADVENTURE TOURISM IN PAURI

Pauri Garhwal is a district in Uttarakhand State of India. Its headquarters is at Pauri. Pauri is a paradise for adventure seekers interested in activities such as trekking, moonlight trekking, cycling, jungle camping, wildlife adventure, aero-sports, angling, rock climbing, rafting, etc. Trekking: Binsor Trek: This is situated at an altitude of 2480 meter and is at a distance of 13 kilometers from Pauri. A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva here is of archaeological significance. The trek trails begins from Thalisain along rich forest. First part of the trek comprises of three days. This includes drive to Thalisain (104 km) from Pauri and the lodging. Second day is a 13 kilometer trek from Thalisain to Piersain with overnight camping. The third day is a 12 kilometer trek to Binsor with camping and then visit to Dharamsala. Second part of the trek is Binsor - Garisain trek which is 20 kilometers. Doodhatoli Trek: this is at an altitude of 3100 meters and is a dense mixed forest. Doodhatoli is at a distance of 24 kilometer by trek and is one of the most picturesque places offering panoramic view of the Himalayan ranges and surrounding areas. The trek trail starts from Thalisain. Thalisain to Peersain is 11 kilometer trek with overnight camping. The second day involves trekking from Peersain to Binsor which is 11 kilometers and the third day is trek from Binsor to Doodhatoli which is a 12 kilometer overnight trek. The other major trek trails are Hariyali Devi trek, Gujurugahri Trek, Tara Kund Trek, etc. Cycling: One of the latest concepts of adventure in Garhwal Himalaya is cycling at an altitude of 1800 meters and above. The route has been notified by the Department of Tourism, Garhwal University, Srinagar. Aerospace: At 12 km from Pauri town en-route Kotdwar is a place called Kandara. The place is a picturesque location with an aero sport club developed by a private entrepreneur.
Angling: Nayar River Valley at Pauri offers swimming and angling. Satpuli area is the best for Angling and Swimming. Satpuli offers number of private accommodation along with government accommodation units like forest rest house.
5.4.3 THENMALA ECO TOURISM

Thenmala is located about 72 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the State Capital of Kerala. It is a small village at the foothills of Western Ghats and is a forest area. The famous Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary is the most important ecotourism resource of Thenmala Ecotourism. The sanctuary is about 100 sq. km and harbors large varieties of flora and fauna. As detailed earlier the nearby wildlife sanctuary is the most important ecotourism resource. This is considered as a unique destination development initiative with "Thenmala" the village as a focal point with small community led ecotourism developments within a radius of 50km from Thenmala in the foothills of Western Ghat Mountains. Investment is to the tune of 1.6 Million US Dollars. Development period was 3 years. Stakeholders include Government Departments such as Tourism, Forest, Irrigation, local self Government and local communities, scientific institutions etc. The main components of the destination are eco-friendly general tourism products and ecotourism products. The Government declared Shenduruney as a wildlife sanctuary on 25th August 1984. The construction of Parappar Dam across the confluence of Shenduruney Kazhuthurutty and Kulathupuzha Rivers resulted in the creation of an artificial lake of about 26 sq. km which spreads along the middle of the sanctuary. This sanctuary is a rain forest, deciduous and man made. There are myristica swamps and Shola grasslands. Over 1500 flowering plants are present in the forest along with 43 mammal species and 200 species of birds. The major attractions offered at Thenmala are the Nakshatravanam which is a garden comprising of 27 trees associated with the 27 birth stars which is an indirect way to propagate tree planting. A butterfly safari is also part of the wildlife sanctuary. The garden of host plants for butterfly has been created enabling the large number of butterfly species of the region to thrive. A musical fountain is also located at the sanctuary. The tour itinerary to Thenmala is indicated in the following table.
Table 5.1: Tour Itinerary to Thenmala Ecotourism Timings Activity Day 1 9.30 AM 10 to 11.30 AM Reach the Tourist Facilitation Center, TEPS Thenmala One hour Boating on the reservoir. Adult - 75 Child - 45 Foreigner - 200 Adult - 20 Child - 10 Foreigner -50 Fees
11.30 AM to 1.30 PM
Visit to the Adventure Zone (Attractions - Elevated walkway, Nature trail, Lotus Pond, Adventure activities like River Crossing, Rock Climbing and Rappelling, Mountain Biking etc.) Lunch at KTDC restaurant at the Culture Zone. At Deer Rehabilitation center
1.30 PM to 2.30 PM 2.30 PM to 4.30 PM
Adult - 10 Child - 5 Foreigner -20 Adult - 30 Child - 20 Foreigner -100 Adult - 20 Child - 10 Foreigner -50 Adult - 30 Child - 20 Foreigner -50
4.30 PM to 5.30 PM
Visit to the Leisure Zone (Attractions - Courts, Pathways, Plazas, Sculpture Garden, Board Walk) Butterfly Safari Guided trail of 20 tourists only in one safari walk for 30 minutes Musical dancing fountain
5.30 PM to 6.00 PM
7.00 PM to 7.30 PM
7.30 PM
Departure Day 2: At Thenmala
9.00 AM to 12.00 Noon 3.00 PM to 5.30 PM
Trekking Programme in Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary Palaruvi and back to Thenmala Day 3: At Thenmala
9.00 AM to 12.00 Noon 3.00 PM to 5.30 PM
Visit Achancoil Eco-contact center Khumbavurutty waterfalls inside forest Visit to Courtallam waterfalls and back to Thenmala Optional Day 3: At Thenmala
6.00 AM to 1.30 PM 3.00 PM to 5.30 PM
Eco-pilgrimage tour from Kulathupuzha ending at Achancoil Visit to Courtallam waterfalls and back to Thenmala Day 4: At Thenmala
7.00 AM to 9.00 PM 10.00 AM to 12.30 PM
Bird watching trails in Deer Rehabilitation Center Local village visit
Timings Afternoon 07.00 am to 4.00 pm Departure
Activity
Fees
Soft Trekking - duration of 2 hours and a distance of 4 kilometers - trekking to Myristica Swamp Forest Patch. Maximum trekkers - 19 Minimum trekkers - 5
Adult - 50 Child - 30 Foreigner -100 Min - 250/trek
Source: http://www.thenmalaecotourism.com/tour_itinerary.htm
5.4.4 ADVENTURE TOURISM - THEKKADY

Thekkady (Idukki district) is the location of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an important tourist attraction in Kerala state, India, close to the Kerala -Tamil Nadu border town Kumily, located about 160 miles from Trivandrum. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen, semievergreen, moist deciduous forests and savannah grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. The Periyar Widlife sanctuary is spread across 777 sq km, of which 360 sq km is thick evergreen forest. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attraction of Periyar is the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake. Thekkady has immense possibilities for Adventure Tourism. The Forest Department offers many programs including Periyar Tiger Trail, Nature walk, Bamboo Rafting etc. There are private organizations like AdventureKerala.com who promote adventure tourism in Thekkady. Periyar Tiger TrailThe Periyar Tiger Trail is conducted by a team of expert guides who were previously poachers. The tem members are hardy and dependable with an intimate knowledge of the forest terrain. The programs have either 1night/2 days or 2 night/3days of duration. The team consists of maximum of 5 visitors, 5 guides and 2 forest officials. Normally 20 to 35 kilometers of trekking distance will be covered, depending on the route chosen. The trek passes through hills and valleys with a variety of tropical plants and wideopen spaces. En-route vegetarian meals will be prepared and served and country tents will be pitched for holing up in the night. Trekking groups are accompanied by armed forest guards with good communication equipments and geared to face any emergency situation. The visitors who are medically fit and in the age group of 15 - 65 are advised to take the tiger trail. Visitors should be serious nature lovers willing to sacrifice some of the luxuries and comforts of a hotel. Bamboo Grove Eco lodge and Centre for experiential learning : Two islets of elevated ground studded with bamboo thickets in Thekkady is the eco lodge for experiential learning. Here a miniature habitat is being recreated for man and nature to coexist. Dwelling units made exclusively of natural materials like bamboo and grass and tents are slotted in the available spaces together with tree top huts to give the place an
eco-friendly ambience. Experiential learning and nature sensitization camps are conducted for discerning aspirants and the program addresses different target groups. Lectures, discussions, audiovisual presentations, field visits, etc go with the program. Tariff: INR 2000 per day for two people. Restaurant facility is available for lunch and dinner. Border HikingBorder Hiking is a conservation oriented hard trek taking up a full day. The trekking starts at 8O Clock in the morning and ends in the evening. The route passes through undulating terrains. Altitudinal ranges of 900 meters to 1300 meters will be covered and the trekkers could glimpse the lofty escarpments bordering the park watershed and the vast plains. Wild animals are often sighted along this route. Maximum of ten tourists can take the program in two different groups. The trekkers will go with two guides and an armed forest guard. Vegetarian refreshments are available en route. Bamboo RaftingThis is a dawn to dusk range hiking and rafting program through some of the richest forest tracts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. The program starts at 8 am from the boat landing. A series of habitats will be traversed before the party gets into rafts made of bamboos. The rafting takes about three hours and one gets a panoramic view of forestclad hills reflected on the lake. Wildlife is also sighted keeping close to edges of the Lake. The team hitchhikes back to the boat landing by about 5 pm. An armed guard and 4 guides will accompany a maximum of 20 tourists. Tea, snacks and packed lunch will be served en route. Jungle PatrolThis is part of the regular night patrolling in the fringe eco development zones of the tiger reserve. By participating in this, one is helping in the protection of the forests of Periyar. The trekking could be at any time between 7 pm and 4 am and could be taken by persons having proper physical and mental fitness to trek through the wilderness in the night. The maximum duration for the slot is 3 hours and the maximum capacity of one slot is limited to 8 visitors (to move in two separate teams). They will accompany two protection watchers and one armed forest guard. Tribal Heritage: A tribal heritage museum built inside the Mannan settlement featuring various types of artifacts related to their ancient agricultural practices, marriage ceremonies, cultural events, dress code, rituals and death ceremonies is the hub of this ecotourism program. Display of fishing gear, hunting weaponry, indigenous medicine and vessels, cereals, medicinal herbs, bamboo furniture, etc. are other attractions providing a peep into their original culture. Tribal heritage visit is a two hour program available on all days from 8 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 4 pm. It involves mainly the tribal museum visit and trekking through the tribal hamlet situated within the periphery of Periyar Tiger Reserve accompanied by a tribal guide. Jungle Inn: The forest cottage at Kokkara, about an hour walk from the Forest check post is an ideal place to board two persons hoping to share the quietness of the jungle night. Here one could relax, read a book, listen to the cicada or simply watch the forests outside. The high point of the program is walking through different forest types at prime time when animals tend to be more active. One can watch troops of languor, giant squirrels, etc., besides many birds along this stretch. Who knows, if the goddess of fortune blesses you, a tiger could come out of the bushes chasing a herd of sambar deer. The check in time and check out time are 3 pm. and 9 am. the following day respectively. Tea, snacks and dinner are provided. Bullock Cart Discoveries: This activity involves the visit of farmlands of a village hidden in the valley behind the mountains of Periyar Tiger Reserve in a bullock cart. The village is rich in bird diversity. With vineyards, diverse agricultural crops of mangoes, tamarind, onions, sunflower, jasmine and a score of other vegetables, the village will take your breath away when the guides start to interpret how farming has woven delicately with the
culture and the life of the natives. To feel the slow pace of the village life, to be part of the innocence, to take away you between cock and stick fights, to quench the thirst with the nectar from tender coconuts. The programme starts at 6 am in the morning and at 2.30 pm in the afternoon and is a half -day package. The package costs INR 500/ person and is inclusive of breakfast. Capacity per package is limited to 9 persons.
5.4.5 ADVENTURE TOURISM - MUNNAR

Munnar is a town located in Idduki district of Kerala State in the southern part of Western Ghats. It is at an altitude of 6000 feet. Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers during the colonial days. Munnar landscape is blessed with unending expanse of tea plantations, valleys, mountains, exotic species of flora and fauna with the aroma of spice scented cool air. Adventure tourism in Munnar is offered by private agents. Notable among them are Edelweiss adventures and Munnar Leisure. The activities are mainly trekking, camping and cliff hut stay. The tariff and details are indicated in the following table. The activities offered by Edelweiss Adventures. Exploring on foot amidst thick woods, cliff tops, wildlife along the Western Ghats on the highest peaks. Apart from trekking, camping, rock climbing, river crossing, water falls rappelling, jeep safari they do activities like paragliding and rock climbing jummering. The rates for the activities are as follows. Table 5.2: Tariff for Various Activities, Munnar Category Trekking - half day Trekking - full day Trekking & camping 1 night 2 days Overnight tent camping Wildlife camping 1 night 2 days Adventure jeep safari Rock climbing River Crossing Parasailing Tariff per pax (INR) 400 800 2000 1500 2000 1000 300 250 400 Min. Pax 1 1 6 1 1 2 4 4 10 Nil Food and Snacks Food and Snacks Nil Food and Snacks Food and Snacks Nil Nil Nil Supplement
Table 5.3: Tariff for Adventure Activities, Edelweiss Adventures, Munnar Category Full day Trekking Half day Trekking Soft Trekking Tent Camping Trekking and Camping (1 day, 1 night) Rock climbing and Jummering Rock climbing and Rappelling River Crossing Water falls Rappelling Paragliding Paragliding Training Course Jeep Safari Tariff per pax (INR) 900 450 250 1350 1800 400 300 250 850 2500 10000 2000 Supplement Mineral water and snacks Mineral water, snacks and food Mineral water Mineral Water and Dinner Mineral water, snacks and food Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Accommodation, Mineral water, snacks, food Nil
5.4.6 ADVENTURE TOURISM - ASSAM

Assam is popularly called as the land of the red river and blue hills. It is the gateway to the north east of India. Assam an embodiment of natural beauty and grace has been at the centre stage of tourist attraction. Assam offers religious, historical, wildlife, golf, natural and adventure tourism options for the tourists. The package offered is generally for a period of 5 days and the package cost ranges from INR 3000 to INR 4500 per day per person, depending upon the accommodation. The typical adventure tourism offered at Assam is detailed in the following paragraphs. Angling: The river Jia Bhoroli, Kapili and Manas are the best places for angling. The Jia Bhoroli River is home to the fierce game fish, the Golden Mahseer, or tiger of the Himalayan Rivers. Famous for its golden Mahseer, an annual Angling competition is held regularly at Jia Bharali. An annual Angling competition is regularly held at Jia Bhoroli where a number of anglers both from outside the state as well as abroad participate every year. Angling is so popular a sport here that there is an organized body by the name 'Assam Bhoroli Anglers Association' which organizes this sport in the month of November every year in collaboration with the State Forest Department. River Cruise and River Rafting: The Brahmaputra River, one of the four largest rivers in the world offers immense opportunity for river cruise. The popular river cruise stretch is from Ninging to Dhubri. The turbulent tributaries of River Brahmaputra like Manas, Jia Bhoroli and Kapili is famous for River Rafting.
Boat Racing: Boat racing is a very popular sport of the state. People very often organize boat racing during festive occasions at places like Hajo, Saulkuchi, Barpeta, Guwahati etc. The involvement of the masses in this sport can be compared with the snake-boat racing in Kerala. Mountaineering and Trekking: Assam's topography makes her an ideal destination for trekkers, mountaineers and rock climbers. The hills, in particular, the North Cachar Hills and Karbi Hills are ready to receive tourists for trekking and mountaineering. There is a recognized trekking route in both the districts. There is also a rock hill in Morigaon District known as "Elephant Rocks" which offer ample scope for Rock Climbing. The Simhasana Hill of Karbi Anglong is also famous for rock climbing. The main city of Assam, Guwahati, is surrounded on three sides with beautiful hills. Mountain Biking: The hilly terrain offers a very good challenge to Mountains Bikers. The Assam Tourism Department in collaboration with The Assam Tourism Development Corporation and other adventure organizations have organized several bicycle and motorbike rallies in and outside the state. Several foreign groups including individual tourists have visited the state for Mountain Biking. Para-sailing: A totally new sport, Para-sailing, has been introduced by Assam Tourist Development Corporation to attract domestic and foreign tourists. The ideal place for Para-sailing near Guwahati is North Guwahati. Parasailing, also known as parascending, is a recreational activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed parachute, known as a parasail. The boat then drives off, carrying the parascender into the air. If the boat is powerful enough, two or three people can parasail behind it at the same time. The parascender has little or no control over the parachute. Hang Gliding: Hang gliding locations are already identified by the tourism department. The locations include Kamakhya Hills and hills around Kaziranga National Park. Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminum alloy or composite-framed fabric wing. The pilot is ensconced in a harness depending from the airframe, and exercises control by shifting body weight in opposition to a control frame, but other devices, including modern aircraft flight control systems, may be used.
5.4.7 ADVENTURE TOURISM - RISHIKESH

Hrishikesh is a city in Dehradun district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is holy city for Hindus and a famous centre of pilgrimage. It is also known as the gateway to the Himalayas and is located around 25 km from Haridwar. Rishikesh is gaining its importance as a famous river rafting destination. The rafting location begins from Shivpuri which is at a higher altitude. The major route for rafting is from Shivpuri to Rishikesh which is 16 kilometers. In Garhwal region, Ganga River offers the professional as well as the amateur the exhilaration of white water rafting. The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi, are the main tributaries of the Ganga and meet at
Devprayag, frothing from their racy descent. Their waters are of Grade IV to V, challenging the expert to savor the thrill. Down river from Devprayag, the Ganga changes into a pool drop river. This stretch of almost 70 km is perfect for amateur and the novice, for here the river offers some fine Grade III rapids and two Grade IV 'GOLF COURSE', 4 km below Shivpuri village; each followed by rapids, the 'WALL' at Byasi and the deep and placid pools. Sandy beaches line the river at intervals, allowing river rafters to pull up alongside. The slopes on either side are covered with oak, pine, spruce and fur, with the occasional village and its terraced fields dotting the landscape. Wildlife is visible at a distance, comprising mainly of spotted deer, monkey, leopard, while multi-hued butterflies fit among flowering bushes. Spiritual retreats and ashrams overlook the river and add to the spiritual experience Camping sites are also present in Rishikesh. Camping including bonfire, river rafting along with light games such as volley ball, basket ball, etc costs around INR 1600 per person. Rafting alone costs INR 450 per person. Packages of 2 days and 3 nights are also available. The package costs vary from INR 2500 to INR 4500 per day per person depending upon the accommodation
5.5
RELEVANCE OF CASE STUDIES IN SHIMOGA CONTEXT

Assessment of the case studies was carried out to identify potential activities / products, which may be envisaged in the local context of Shimoga District considering the location, geographic, ecological and topographic advantages and resources readily available. Efforts have been made to identify various activities analyzed in the case studies to reinforce them in the local relevance of various tourist attractions of the district. It may be noted that the envisaged activities may be planned / developed in identified locations within the district in a phased manner. The table below presents illustrative list of activities, which may be envisaged in select tourist attractions of the district.
Table 5.4: List of Activities Proposed to be envisaged in Select Tourist Attractions of the Shimoga District Location Ladakh Canada Tourist Significance Adventure Tourism Adventure Tourism Activities Trucking and Biking Heli Mountaineering, Heli Backpacking, Rock Climbing, Heli Fishing, Heli Hiking Duration of Package (Days) 7 to 16 days 1 to 4 days Tariff (INR per day per Person) INR 25,000 100,000 INR 14,000 154,000 to to INR INR Potential for Project Development These activities can implemented in Kodachadri and Kundadri Few activities can be implemented in Jog Falls, Backwater of Tunga River and Kodachadri. But financial not viable in the initial stage. As Shimoga didnt reached the status of international level tourism. These activities can implemented in Sharavathi Valley, Agumbe Kodachadri etc. These activities can implemented in Kodachadri and Kundadri These activities can implemented in Agumbe, Sharavathi Valley Kodachadri and Kundadri These activities can implemented in Sakrebylu and Backwater of Tunga River These activities can implemented in Sakrebylu and Sharavathi Valley Some these activities can be implemented in Sharavathi Valley and along Tunga River
Taman Negara, Malaysia
Adventure Tourism
Canopy Walkway, Cave Exploration, Rapid Shooting, Night Jungle Walk, Night Safari Jeep Trip
2 days
INR 4600 to INR 16,000
La Plata Canyon, Durango Pauri, Kashmir
Adventure Tourism
4:15 hours
INR 2900 to INR 3600
Religious & Adventure Tourism Eco & Adventure Tourism Adventure Tourism Adventure Tourism
Trekking, Cycling, gliding, Angling Elephant sports camping,
Para
6 Days
Thenmala, Kerala Thekkady, Kerala Munnar, Idduki District, Kerala
water
5 days
Trekking, Elephant Camp Forest Trekking, Monsoon Trekking, Cave tourism, Rappelling, Mock River Crossing, Tent Camping
1 day 3 Days
INR 250 to INR 1400 INR 4700
Location Assam
Tourist Significance Religious, leisure & Adventure and EcoTourism Religious, Adventure Tourism Theme Park
Activities Rock-climbing, Trekking, Para-sailing, Water Sports, River Rafting, Angling, Golf courses Rafting
Duration of Package (Days) 5 days
Tariff (INR per day per Person) INR 3000 to INR 4500
Potential for Project Development Some these activities can be implemented in Honnemaradu Sharavathi Valley, along Tunga River and Jog Falls The activity can be implemented in Honnemaradu and Sharavathi Valley Theme based activities can be developed in major destinations like Sagar and Jog Falls
Rishikesh, Dehradun District Genting Highlands, Malaysia
2 days 3 nights
Thrill Rides , Spinner , Cyclone , Bumper Boats, Corkscrew, Family Rides, Tea Cup , Flying Jumbo , Boating , Dinosaur Land Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Disney's Wedding Pavilion, Disney's Board Walk, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, Walt Disney World Speedway, Downtown Disney. White Water Wadi, Jebel Lookout Wadi Leap, Hos'N Hurler, Falaj Fury Wadi Twister, Wadi Basher and Flood River Flyer Cable Car , 4D Magix , Dolphin Lagoon, Underwater World , Luge & Skyride , Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom , Songs of the Sea Water Volcano, WavePool, Slides, Rain Disco, Road Train, Flume Ride, White
5 days 4 Nights
INR 60,000 per person
Disney Florida
World,
Theme Park
6 days 5 nights
INR 150,000 to INR 200,000
Same as above
Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai
Water Based Theme Park
6 days 5 nights
INR 75,000 120,000
to
INR
Water based activities can be developed in major destinations like Honnemaradu and Sharavathi Valley
Sentosa Island
5 days 4 Nights
INR 60,000 per person
Some of the activities can be implemented in Jog Falls (Cable car) and Sharavathi Valley
Kishkinta, Chennai
1 day
INR 360
Water based activities can be developed in major destinations like Honnemaradu and Sharavathi Valley
Location
Tourist Significance
Activities Water Ride, Space Shuttle, 3D Theatre, Trooper, Tourist Boat
Duration of Package (Days)
Tariff (INR per day per Person)
Potential for Project Development
6
6.1
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN FOR SHIMOGA DISTRICT

FRAMEWORK FOR THE TOURISM MASTER PLAN
Framework for the proposed Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga District is derived through a 2-strand approach, viz. first, assessment of the tourism potential of the district and tourist attractions; and secondly evaluating potential activities and development considering successful case studies available both in India and abroad. Thus, the framework for the proposed Tourism Master Plan essentially commenced with Strength-WeaknessOpportunities-Threat (SWOT) analysis of the Shimoga District from the tourism perspective. The table below presents the SWOT analysis. Table 6.1: SWOT Analysis of the Shimoga District from Tourism Perspective Strengths Diversity of offerings Unique tourism products Abundance of nature based tourism Untouched Western Ghats and its tropical rain forests Century old and rich traditions. Rich tradition in Art and Architecture Home to several important pilgrim centres Warm hospitality of soft spoken people No major law and order problems (except Naxallite related) Opportunities Ever growing tourism sector at the State level Brand Image of Shimoga for Jog Falls Scope for marketing Western Ghats as a strong Sustainable Ecotourism destination Presence of airports at neighboring district Mangalore and proposed Green Field Airport at Shimoga City. Increased tourism focus on Western Ghats and its surrounding districts, initiated by the GoK in recent times Weaknesses Poor infrastructure - especially road connectivity High costs of internal transport Poor service standards Low quality tourist operators and guides in comparison to competitor destinations Lack of accommodation facilities particularly during peak season No visitor facilitation facilities Lack of awareness of tourism among the host population Lack of promotion measures to encourage tourism Threats Competition from surrounding districts Chikamagalur, Udupi, Uttar Kannada & Dakshina Kannada Law & order problems - specifically naxalite related in the region
The Master Plan strategy has been derived based on the above analysis and presented in the section below.
6.2
SHARED VISION BY THE STAKEHOLDERS

Several rounds of stakeholder consultations were held during the preparation of the proposed Tourism Master Plan for the Shimoga District. The discussions were held firstly to identify various tourism attractions in the district to complete the inventory and secondly to capture shared vision (including perceptions, suggestions and improvement measures) to capture in the proposed Tourism Master Plan for the Shimoga District. The consultations were held with State tourism department officials & various district officials in the beginning, taluk-level discussions were held during the course of the exercise and
finally larger stakeholder workshop was organized by the District Administration to summarize the findings and present draft Tourism Master Plan for the Shimoga District. Following table summarizes the shared vision (including perceptions, suggestions and improvement measures) by the stakeholders, expressed to capture in the proposed Tourism Master Plan for the Shimoga District. Table 6.2: Shared Vision, Perceptions and Suggestions by the Stakeholders for Proposed Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga District Sl. 1. Particulars / Areas Institutional Strengthening & Capacity Building Shared Vision, Perceptions and Suggestions Tourism Department to identify an affiliated agency to book accommodation for tourists Local NGOs should be used for identifying the tourist potential areas in the District Government should engage a agencies to promote tourism and also do the marketing as well Involve unemployed youth in tourist development activities Private agencies should be involved in tour packing All tourist destination in the district should be provided with police security or forest officer Affiliated agency to govern all lakes in the district and the same can be developed for tourism Need multi-linguistic tourist guides in all tourist destination in the district Stringent regulation and punishment should regulated to avoid littering the tourist destination Need of Tourist information center in the taluk All tourist destination in the district should be marketed via media and news paper Package tour through bus should be developed Allot Government guesthouse to public during the peak season with an nominal accommodation amount Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Construct Welcome Arch at the entrance of Shimoga Develop BRP Dam and Linganamakki Dam like KRS Augment existing Tiger & Lion Safari with other wild animals and species like reptile park, bird sanctuary Boat Race should be conducted annually in the back water of Gajanur Kuvempu University to start hotel management department Research institute is required for studying the heritage structure in the district Rejuvenate heritage area and remove unauthorized properties Develop art gallery in each taluk depicting the history, art and architecture of the region Malnad product and food items should be exhibited Develop rope way and parks in Jog Falls Rejuvenate Shivappanayaka Fort and take-up area improvement schemes surrounding the fort Develop Shettihalli Wildlife sanctuary in line with Bhadra Wildlife sanctuary Take-up area improvement schemes for all lakes & backwaters and Jog
2.
Development of Tourist Attractions
Sl.
Particulars / Areas
Shared Vision, Perceptions and Suggestions Falls Affiliated agency to govern all lakes in the district and the same can be developed for tourism
3.
Tourism Infrastructure
Construction and augmentation of budget hotels at tourist potential areas in each Taluk Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Need of convention centre at proposed Sogane Airport, Shimoga Boarding and Lodging should be developed at Sagar Taluk Need of youth hostel at tourist location such as Jog Falls, Kodachadri, Hosagunda, Ramachandrapura, Devagange, Kavaledurga and Chandragutti etc. Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Tourism Department and Forest Department should work together in tourism development in Shimoga District All tourism projects should be executed through District Tourism Council Augment infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity etc. at Taverekoppa Lion Safari, Sakrebylu Elephant Camp, Gudavi Bird Sanctuary, Kodachadri and other tourist attractions Basic infrastructure such as toilets and drinking water facilities should be constructed near the fort area and all other tourist attractions Improve public transport system and road connectivity Financial support provided is inadequate. Need more financial support from Tourism Department to develop Taverekoppa Lion Safari into a full fledges tourist destination in the district More financial support is required for Sakrebylu Elephant Camp and Gudavi Bird Sanctuary Department of Tourism to provide financial support for augmenting infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity etc. at Taverekoppa Lion Safari, Sakrebylu Elephant Camp and Gudavi Bird Sanctuary.
4.
Interdepartmental Coordination Infrastructure Augmentation
5.
6.
Budgetary Allocation
Detailed list of stakeholders consulted and their shared vision (including perceptions, suggestions and improvement measures) expressed to capture in the proposed Tourism Master Plan for the Shimoga District is given in Annexure - 3. Photo gallery of the Stakeholder Workshop is given in Annexure - 4.
6.3
MASTER PLAN STRATEGY
6.3.1 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

As detailed earlier, Shimoga District offers multiple tourist attractions under different tourism typologies like Heritage Religious, Adventure, Leisure and Eco/Wildlife. Most prominent among the above is Leisure followed by Adventure and Eco/Wildlife. Existing activity can be better integrated by creating a platform focusing on prominent tourism typologies, networked with a good connectivity. The above can be best achieved through development of a Tourist Destination with good network with various tourist attractions in the district based on a theme A tourist destination is a city, town or other area the economy of which is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions or visitor attractions and possibly some "tourist traps". The table below presents brief description of different types of destinations, which are developed world-wide. Table 6.3: Description of Tourism Destinations Sl. 1. Type of Destination Coastal Destination Area Brief Description Could be an expanse of coastline that is specifically defined as one area (e.g. Om Beach) but not a more general description such as Karavali. It could also be a specific coastal resort. Islands that are destinations popular specifically for their coastlines are also acceptable. However, groups of islands are not considered as destinations for this unit. Towns or cities with facilities to cope with business tourists, such as large conference and/or exhibition centres, a range of business tourist facilities (a large number of 4* and 5* hotels, good transport links, etc.) and usually close proximity to an international airport. These are rural areas away from town and cities and not necessarily specific named resorts. They are areas that incorporate a number of features, such as mountains, lakes, forests, hills etc. Specific towns, cities, villages and resorts that are known for having maintained the history and heritage of the destination and/or the culture of the region or country. Examples include many cultural cities such as Mysore, Belur & Halebid, etc. They could also be destinations linked to UNESCO/ Archeological Department cultural heritage sites Developed specifically for tourists which provide all the facilities needed in one place. This is a hybrid destination concept encompassing multipleattractions and activities
2.
Business Conference Destinations
&
3.
Country Side Areas
4.
Heritage & Cultural Destinations
5.
Purpose Built
It is proposed to develop a Purpose Built tourist destination with activities well integrated with the existing activities in the district. This tourist destination needs to be networked with all other tourist attractions in the district with a packaged arrangement
Some of the salient features of the proposed tourism destinations are as follows: Destination(s) to be developed in a location(s) well connected with Shimoga City preferred locations are near Sagar/Jog and Thirthahalli/Agumbe Destination should preferably have water / river frontage Destination to have multiple activities on a common platform o Hospitality development - luxury accommodation of different typologies (regular rooms, tents, cottages, etc.) o Retail and entertainment encompassing local activities like crafts, folk dances, local Malnad food, etc. o Multiple theme parks showcasing different activities of the Malnad region (work with artisans concept) o Amusement park with variety activities Destination may also showcase activities of other districts in the State Packaged tours to be organized from the proposed tourist destination to cover different themes based on the interest of the tourists (may opt one/two or all) o Heritage o Religious o Leisure and Adventure o Eco / Wildlife Proposed Tourist Destination (to be developed near existing tourist attraction) is a One-Stop point to get exposure to all activities of the region and to visit all tourist attractions of the district Considering the large geographic extent of the district, both single- and double-destination concept considering the fact that the district has two prominent corridors of tourism significance, viz. Shimoga-Thirthahalli and Shimoga-Sagar. The table below presents salient features, prospects/potentials and constraints of each of the approach. Table 6.4: Comparison of Single and Double Tourism Destination Approach for Shimoga District Particulars Salient Features Single Tourism Destination Approach Develop a common tourism destination in the district - with good connectivity to the two important corridors, viz. Shimoga-Thirthahalli and Shimoga-Sagar Tourism Destination to have all activities o Hospitality development o Retail and entertainment o Multiple theme parks (work with artisans concept) o Amusement park with variety activities Various ongoing and proposed tourism improvement projects to be dovetailed to the proposed Tourism destination Packaged tours from the destination to cover different tourism themes Double Tourism Destination Approach Develop two tourism destinations in the district - with good connectivity from Shimoga, viz. along ShimogaThirthahalli road and Shimoga-Sagar road This concept offers choice for the tourists to select a corridor depending upon the interest Convenient for short-stay tourists more suitable for 2-day stay Both destinations should have at least 3 of the 4 following activities o Hospitality development o Retail and entertainment o Multiple theme parks (work with artisans concept) o Amusement park with variety activities Various ongoing and proposed tourism improvement projects to be dovetailed to the proposed Tourism destination
Particulars Potential Location within District Potentials Prospects /
Single Tourism Destination Approach Preferred location can be in Sorab Taluk, which borders both Thirthahalli and Sagar Taluk. Alternatively, close to an existing tourist attraction - Jog Falls or Agumbe Facilitate creating a magnet within the district having good connectivity from Shimoga - acts as a one-stop point for tourists visiting the district Efficient in terms of investment better utilization of facilities and ease of operation Should be developed on a modular pattern with scope of expansion and augmentation Forced guide for the tourists visiting the district Day tourists and short-term tourists may find it convenient to directly visit places of interest The option requires significant investment for improving the infrastructure - roads for better connectivity, signage, civic amenities, etc. Availability of large land parcel for single tourism destination is a challenge
Double Tourism Destination Approach Along Shimoga-Thirthahalli road and Shimoga-Sagar road
Two separate operators / promoters monopoly is prevented Ease of accessibility to other tourism circuits - Chikamagalur, Udupi, etc. Should be developed on a modular pattern with scope of expansion and augmentation
Constraints
Less utilization of facilities and tourism infrastructure Multiple activities to be proposed at two different destinations Tourist tend to reduce the duration of stay by limiting visit to one of two destinations
Industry Stakeholders Preferred Single Destination Concept with Jog as the Preferred Tourism Location due to its International Popularity
6.3.2 PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

As stated earlier, the outcome of the case studies were analyzed with respect to their relevance for the tourist attractions identified within the district for possible implementation. The activities were proposed for consideration for a particulars tourist attraction considering their natural advantages, suitability and potential to support a particular activity with minimum capital cost. Further, identified activities are categorized for implementation in short-term (within 5 years), medium-term (6-10 years) and long-term (beyond 10 years). The table below presents the tourist attractions identified for product development and proposed activities.
Table 6.5: Comparison of Single and Double Tourism Destination Approach for Shimoga District Tourist Attraction and Significance Proposed Activities Short-Term (5 Years) Trucking and Jeep Trip Medium-Term (6-10 Years) Biking Long-Term (beyond 10 Years) Para-gliding
Kodachadri & Kundadri (Adventure)
Jog Falls and catchment area of Talakalale Dam (Leisure & Adventure) Sharavathi Valley (Adventure Tourism)
Soft Water Sports and Cable Car
Caravan Drive, Golf Canopy Walkway and Courses, Rock Heli-Tourism Climbing and Floating Jetties & boat house. Floating Jetties & boat house. --
Soft Water Sports, Boutique Resort with minimum suits, Health spa, and Theme restaurant. Soft Water SportsKayaking and boat house. Trucking, Night Jungle Walk, Night Safari Soft Water Sports, Trucking, & Cable car
Honnemaradu (Sharavathi Backwaters) (Leisure, Adventure & Eco) Thirthahalli, Agumbe & Barkana Falls (Adventure) Tunga Region Sharavathi Valley (Adventure & Leisure) &
Wind water surfing, -Resort with minimum suits, Health spa, and Theme restaurant Caravan Drive Canopy Walkway
Caravan Drive
--
6.3.3 FOCUS AND KEY FACTORS

The focus of the Master Plan Strategy is to make Shimoga District a more competitive destination. Understanding of what constitutes competitiveness in tourism has deepened in recent years. Tourism destinations compete on a range of factors - not just price. The factors which determine the competitiveness of a tourist destination can be grouped under the following headings: Product the product - natural resource base, primary attractions; the tourism facilities and services - accommodation, internal transport, amenities; standard of service - supply of manpower, skills, knowledge; access transport - accessibility from source markets; and relative prices of tourism products and services - value-for -money Infrastructure supporting infrastructure - roads, utilities, telecommunications, transport. Enabling Environment tourism policies and institutions - regulations and organizations; and
business environment - ranging from rates of personal taxation, extent of bureaucracy, physical planning laws, etc.
6.3.4 STRATEGIC ASSUMPTIONS

Shimoga District is exceptionally well endowed with the type of natural resources that provide the raw material from which tourism attractions and products are fashioned. Strong tourism attractions on their own will not necessarily guarantee a successful tourist industry. Many other factors must be in place for tourism to operate. The main strategic issues that must be addressed, failing which it will not be possible for Shimoga tourism to realize its full potential, are summarized as follows: Though Shimoga City is well connected due to its district headquarters city status, significant improvement in terms of connectivity to reduce the travel time is critical to Shimoga tourism to get adequate recognition on the International Tourism Map. In the context of Shimoga tourism, Bangalore will be the starting point for foreign tourists and domestic tourists from other states. Operation of the new international airport at Bangalore would encourage tourists flow to the state. Thus, any improvement initiatives in terms of connectivity should be to improve connectivity of Shimoga City to Bangalore. Most important aspects in this regard are a. Improving connectivity of the Shimoga City to Bangalore to bring down travel time from existing 7 hours to at least 4.5 hours; and b. Operationalization of proposed airport at Shimoga - to facilitate easy access to foreign tourists and long distance domestic tourists. The corner stone of Shimoga tourism is the quality of the environment which underpins almost every product. If this environmental quality is lost, or degraded beyond a certain point, then Shimoga tourism will have severe problems. For tourism to operate successfully it is essential that there are service centres (normally towns or cities) where tourists can find restaurants, take taxis to go sightseeing, make shopping trips and so on. In doing so they spend money from which the local community benefits. Such centres are limited in Shimoga District and their absence must be addressed. While considerable progress has been made recently on improving and/or augmenting tourism infrastructure, especially in and around Jog Falls, the tourism USP of the district, there remains a major need not only to continue to upgrade existing tourism infrastructure. More importantly, efforts are required to refurbish existing accommodation facilities and to make provision for accommodation for the forecast increase in the number of tourists through building new accommodation units. The role of the public sector is to regulate and control tourism and create an economic environment that will encourage private sector investment. Crucial to that environment is a feeling on the part of the private sector that their investment will be secure and that the Government will support entrepreneurship. Some of the government initiatives are a must to promote / build confidence on the following: a. Promote tourism in the State in general district in particular at global platform on the tourism potential (like Kerala State) b. Provide good road connectivity, basic amenities & facilities at all tourist destinations c. Implement commercially viable tourism infrastructure projects on pilot basis and manage on commercial formats to create investor friendly environment d. Provide equity contribution / financial incentives to encourage implementation of PPP projects The competitiveness of the Shimoga tourism product is affected by the fact that it does not always offer value-for-money. This is partly an issue of quality than price.
Improving competitiveness is of utmost importance to promote Shimoga District as a tourist destination. In addition to improving physical standards, the standards of service must be brought up to expectations. This means a considerable investment in training and the provision of adequate training facilities. It is unrealistic to expect either the DoT or the District authorities to carry out their statutory functions without the necessary resources. In this context it is clear that the budgets allocated to these agencies must be substantially increased to enable them to implement their respective roles effectively. With an increasing concern about terrorist attacks in general and naxal threats in the surrounding areas of the district, security has become a priority issue and must be tackled on an on-going basis and not in response to events.
6.3.5 STRATEGY COMPONENTS

To improve Shimogas competitiveness in the marketplace, the following strategy components must be put in place: Knowledge and know-how strategy - improving range and quality of Information on customers, distribution channels, suppliers, etc. Investment strategy - attracting direct foreign and local investment product strategy expanding and improving the tourism product Infrastructure strategy - improving roads, utilities, etc. Access strategy - improving air and ground access transport Human resource development - improving skills and service standards Marketing and communications strategy - creating greater awareness in marketplace Capacity building strategy - strengthening tourism institutions security awareness strategy Knowledge and Know-How Strategy One of the key characteristics of successful tourism destinations is their emphasis on knowledge and know-how. Considerable resources are spent on knowing the consumer what he/she wants, likes and dislikes, etc.; knowing the market distribution channels - who main tour operators are, the tourist operators, conference and incentive organizers, etc; knowing the tourism product suppliers - capacity of hotels, restaurants, etc. Investment Strategy The role of Government / district authorities is to create the enabling environment that establishes a positive climate for investment. This will encompass issues such as tax incentives (partly addressed in the proposed tourism policy); reduction in bureaucratic procedures and regulations, clarification of land tenure and land access issues. Product Strategy The most ambitious task of the Tourism Master Plan is to formulate a product strategy and prepare a development programme that will set Shimoga on a trajectory that will ultimately lead to it becoming a world-class quality tourism destination that can meet all the holiday needs of individuals. The competitive advantage of Karnataka in general and Shimoga in particular lies, unambiguously, in the quality and range of the leisure, adventure, ecological and wildlife tourism. This clear advantage is, at the moment, being squandered; the main beneficiary is Kerala (as a State) with Karnataka a poor second. To turn Karnataka / Shimoga into a single holiday destination and reap all the benefits that flow from it, it is essential to expand the range of the product offering and upgrade the quality of supportive facilities. This necessitates augmenting leisure and cultural products. These attractions have to be supported by facilities and services of the appropriate type and quality to meet the needs of the target market. An important element of the product
strategy will be introduction of a grading and classification system which reflects international standards. Infrastructure Strategy Investment in infrastructure - roads, airports, utilities, is a prerequisite to investment in the tourism superstructure of hotels, lodges, camps, etc. Access Strategy Though Shimoga City is well connected due to its district headquarters city status, significant improvement in terms of connectivity to reduce the travel time is critical to Shimoga tourism to get adequate recognition on the International Tourism Map. In the context of Shimoga tourism, Bangalore will be the starting point for foreign tourists and domestic tourists from other states. Operation of the new international airport at Bangalore would encourage tourists flow to the state. Thus, any improvement initiatives in terms of connectivity should be to improve connectivity of Shimoga City to Bangalore. Most important aspects in this regard are a. Improving connectivity of the Shimoga City to Bangalore to bring down travel time from existing 7 hours to at least 4.5 hours; and b. Operationalization of proposed airport at Shimoga - to facilitate easy access to foreign tourists and long distance domestic tourists. Human Resource Development Strategy Currently, Shimoga District has insufficient trained personnel in its tourism sector and this is acute at supervisory and management levels. Tourism is a service industry and delivering a quality service is a prerequisite to ensuring that the customer obtains valuefor-money. A substantial increase in the competitiveness of Shimoga District is essential and, as has already been argued, this must come mainly from an improved overall product experience rather than a decrease in price. This approach requires a major investment in training of both existing staff and new entrants, including training a core of individuals who in turn will train others, as well as putting in place the necessary structures and educational facilities to meet all the tourism training needs of the industry from within Shimoga. Security Awareness Strategy Many factors are taken into account when choosing a holiday destination - scenery, climate, cost of travel, cost of accommodation, historical interest, value-for-money, etc. However, the relative importance of these criteria vary by location. With an increasing concern about terrorist attacks in general and naxal threats in the surrounding areas of the district, Safety and Security will become one of the most important factors influencing choice of destination, particularly for long-haul destinations. Shimoga will have to develop and publicize a security awareness programme covering hotels and tour companies to assure potential travelers of their safety. Marketing and Communications Strategy The marketing strategy is to create awareness in the main source markets of Shimoga as a single holiday destination. The primary tasks associated with this strategy are: Develop an image of Shimoga as the leading destination for leisure, adventure, ecological and wildlife tourism in conjunction with quality resort tourism and diverse cultural interests; Identify and define the target markets; Devise a cost efficient means of communication with and influencing the identified target market segments; Support the promotional activities of the tour operators; and Improve data collection and information for decision-making purposes.
Capacity Building Strategy For Shimoga to develop the tourism sector, an effective institutional framework and regulatory environment must exist in order to facilitate and encourage enterprise development. The main tasks necessary to implement this strategy are to ensure that: The public and private sector organizations and agencies that contribute to tourism are properly organized; The appropriate regulations, controls and safeguards are in place; and There is adequate funding for the relevant organizations and agencies. It is important to note that the strength of the strategies adopted increases in proportion to the degree of synergy that exists between them. What is being sought is a situation where the overall impact of the combined strategies is much greater than the sum of the individual strategies.
6.4
PHASING PLAN
Master Plan is a strategic document providing development and policy framework for overall comprehensive and sustainable tourism development in the district. An issue of concern to tourism planners is how to sequence the recommended action programmes. Should the tourism product be expanded and standards improved prior to, or after, the establishment of a marketing campaign? Should institutional development and the creation of an environment conducive to enterprise development precede product development and marketing? The greatest consensus appears to be to do all at once. This is not as simplistic as it appears at first sight. Because all the action programmes are so interlinked, trying to identify the best sequence is not a realistic goal. No single measure can bring much benefit without at least some progress in respect of the other actions. In this sense, it is more instructive to view the development of the tourism sector as a process rather than as a sequence of activities. Establishing the appropriate institutional arrangements (policies, laws, incentives, etc.) will create the climate for enterprise development within Shimoga District on the one hand, and on the other, ensure the promotion of the district as a holiday destination in the different source markets. Manpower training, involving the transfer of knowledge and technology will ensure that the tourism industry can meet international standards of service and customer care. The combination of a trained workforce and the appropriate institutional arrangements will result in a competitive private tourism sector, attracting foreign investment and be attractive to holidaymakers. This process is illustrated in the following chart.
MANPOWER TRAINING
International Standards ATTRACTS TOURISM
Market Needs / Knowledge
COMPETITIVE PRIVATE SECTOR

ATTRACTS INVESTMENT
SOURCE MARKETS
Product Development and Marketing Climate for Enterprice Development
INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING
Based on the above, the implementation of the proposed Tourism Master Plan is envisaged as a process than a product. As part of the process, 3 definitive implementation phases have been identified for the full implementation of the proposed Tourism Master Plan. Following table presents proposed phasing strategy of the Tourism Master Plan. Table 6.6: Phasing Strategy of the Proposed Tourism Master Plan of Shimoga District Horizon Period Short-Term Years) (5 Focus Hub development to form Tourism Triangle, Heritage Circuit & Off-Circuit Single Destinations, Connectivity and Infrastructure Development Institutional Strengthening & Capacity Building Proposed Tasks and Activities Completion of the ongoing projects initiated by the District Authority Develop Tourism Triangle of Shimoga District covering Gajanur (Shimoga)-Agumbe-Jog Development of Off-Circuit Single Destinations, Heritage Circuit and Last-Mile Connectivity Implementation of identified tourism development projects through o Government o Public-Private-Partnership Short-term institutional development Develop the proposed package to increase duration of stay of tourists to 3-5 days Initiate implementation of proposed long-term institutional strengthening & capacity building measures Pursue with National Highway Authority of
Horizon Period
Focus
Proposed Tasks and Activities India to widen the NH-13 connecting Shimoga Thirthahalli and NH-206 connecting ShimogaSagar Identify 75-100 acres land for the proposed Tourism Destination in close proximity to Jog Falls with access to water frontage Prepare a comprehensive Master Plan for the development of the proposed Tourism Destination
Medium-Term (610 Years)
Comprehensive development of all frequently visited Tourist Attractions
Develop first phase of the proposed Tourism Destination and operationalize the same Provide basic amenities at all frequently visited Tourist Attractions Improve connectivity to all frequently visited Tourist Attractions Provide connectivity to all identified Tourist Attractions Market all tourist attractions at the national level as part of the package offered through the Tourism Destination Upscale implementation of proposed institutional strengthening & capacity building measures Develop subsequent phases of the proposed Tourism Destination and operationalize the same Provide basic amenities at all identified Tourist Attractions Improve connectivity to all Tourist Attractions Improve and augment connectivity to all identified Tourist Attractions Market all tourist attractions at international level as part of the package offered through the Tourism Destination Continue with implementation of proposed institutional strengthening & capacity building measures
Long-Term (beyond Years)
10
Comprehensive development of all identified Tourist Attractions
Based on the above, it is recommended to consider proposed tasks and activities of the short-term (5 years) for implementation and is detailed in the section below
6.5
SHORT-TERM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
6.5.1 IMPLEMENTATION OF ONGOING TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

The DoT and district authority is already implementing tourism development projects of estimated cost of INR 50.29 crores. Following table summarizes estimated cost and funds released for various ongoing tourism projects in Shimoga District.
Table 6.7: Ongoing Tourism Development Projects in Shimoga District SI. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Name of the Projects Construction of Yatri Nivas at Kuppali Construction of Yatri Nivas at Ambu Teertha Construction of Yatri Nivas at Togarsi Development of tourist facilities at Jog Falls Development of tourist facilities at Jog Falls Construction of Dormitory at Uduthady and Huchunarainak Kere Construction of Eco-Tourism resort at Bramana Ilekalale Development of tourist facilities at Lion Safari, Taverekoppa Jungle Camp at Sakrebyle from Estimated Cost Amount Released (Rs. in Lakhs) (Rs. in Lakhs) 49.83 49.83 10.00 100.00 495.00 163.00 Implementing Agency
49.83 DC- Shimoga 49.83 DC- Shimoga 10.00 DC- Shimoga 100.00 Jog Authority 495.00 Jog Authority Management Management
84.25 Department of Tourism
7.
200.00
50.00 MD, Jungle Lodges & Resorts 165.00 DC- Shimoga
8.
200.00
9.
148.35 2110.00
121.68 Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF)- Shimoga 1778.80 Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) 30.00 DC- Shimoga 110.00 DC- Shimoga
10. Development of Road Sampekatte to Kodachadri
11. Construction of Yatri Nivas at Chandragutti 12. Construction of Yatri Nivas at Ramchandrapura Math 13. Development of tourist facilities at Jog under Destination Development Scheme 14. Development of International Standard Park at Linganamakki Reservoir Total
50.00 495.00
462.52
370.00 Jog Authority 396.00 Jog Authority
Management
494.98
Management
5028.51
3810.39
It is recommended to implement above ongoing projects as these dovetail well into the proposed Tourism Master Plan in terms of product development and facilitate value for money concept.
6.5.2 DEVELOP TOURISM TRIANGLE (SHIMOGA)-AGUMBE-JOG
OF
SHIMOGA DISTRICT
COVERING
GAJANUR
Most important part of the implementation of the first phase is developing the Tourism Triangle of the Shimoga District with three hubs forming part of the triangle, viz. Gajanur (Shimoga), Agumbe and Jog Falls. The District Authority has already initiated various tourism promotion and development projects in all three hubs, which should be completed at a speed pace. This triangle would be the USP of the district in implementing the proposed Tourism Master Plan. The table below provides list tourist attractions to be included in the proposed Tourism Triangle as part of hub development: Gajanur (Shimoga) Hub Gajanur Dam Sakrebyle Elephant Camp Ashwinivana Tyavarekoppa Lion-Tiger Safari Koodli Agumbe Hub Agumbe Sunset Point Narasimha Parvata Trek Vanakeabbe Falls Barkhana Falls Kundadri Kavaledurga Kodachadri-Trek through Hidlumane Falls Jog Hub Muppani Honnemaradu KanoorKote-Dabbe FallsTrek Jog Falls Linganamakki Backwaters
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
There are two major national highways connect Sagar and Thirthahalli with Shimoga City. In this regard, it is suggested that the Government of Karnataka/district authority to pursue with National Highway Authority of India to widen the NH-13 connecting Shimoga Thirthahalli and NH-206 connecting Shimoga-Sagar. The District Authority may make efforts to augment district road connecting Thirthahalli and Sagar to complete the triangle.
6.5.3 DEVELOPMENT OF OFF-CIRCUIT SINGLE DESTINATIONS, HERITAGE CIRCUIT LAST-MILE CONNECTIVITY

Development of Off-Circuit Single Destinations
AND
Following are some of the identified tourist attractions, which proposed to be developed as off-Circuit single destinations: BRP and surroundings; Kuppali; Gudavi Bird Sanctuary; and Chandragutti Development of Heritage Circuit Proposed Heritage Circuit will comprise of Shimoga-Shikaripura-Shiralkoppa-Banavasi. Following are some of the identified tourist attractions, which proposed to be included in the proposed Heritage Circuit: Shivappanayaka Palace; Sacred heart Church; Huchharayanakere/Temple; Uduthadi; Balligave(Talagunda); Togarsi; Kabatur; and Banavasi (Outside District) Development of Last-Mile Connectivity Following are some of the identified tourist attractions, which proposed to be provided with last-mile connectivity: Thirthahalli Main Road to Kundadri; Gourikere to Kattinahole; Soraba Main Road to Gudavi; Road to Sigandur; Talguppa-Kargal Main Road to Honnemaradu; and Nittur to Kalyanichouka Road The map in the next page presents geographic location of all above tourist attractions within the Shimoga District and with respect to the proposed Tourism Triangle.
6.5.4 IMPLEMENTATION OF IDENTIFIED PROJECTS AT DIFFERENT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Projects to be Implemented by the District Authority Based on the shared vision of the key stakeholders and detailed assessment of the need, the Tourism Master Plan propose area development schemes together for Nagara (Bidanoor) Fort and Kavaledurga Fort, which are located at a distance of about 24 km apart. Nagara is located in Hosanagara Taluk (17 km from Hosanagara) while Kavaledurga is located in Thirthahalli Taluk (16 km from Thirthahalli) Nagara was called as Bidanoor. During the 16th century, this was the last Capital City of Keladi Rulers. Shivappanaika Palace, Fort, Devaganga Tank, Neelakenteshwara Temple and Gudde Venkataramana Swamy Temple are the prominent places in Nagara. The Fort is built on a small hill, beside a tank and has a system to circulate water around it for safety. On the hill, within the fort, there are Darbar Hall (King's Court), remains of a palace, two tanks called Akka Thangi Kola (tanks of two sisters), and a cannon.
Kavaledurga Fort is a magnificent fort located on a hill at an altitude of 5,056 feet (1,541 m) above the mean sea level. This fort was constructed around 9th century AD. Fort is ruined to a large extent and what remain are two fortresses and the Mylaareshwara Shrine. At the top of the hill, there is a Srikanteshwara Temple.
Master Plan for the Shimoga District proposes Area Development Scheme encompassing both Nagara (Bidanoor) Fort and Kavaledurga Fort. The proposed area development scheme also envisages providing/exploring connectivity between the two historical monuments to enhance value offering for the tourists visiting any of the attraction. Following are the broad components of the proposed area development scheme: Table 6.8: Broad Components of the Proposed Area Development Scheme for Nagara (Bidanoor) Fort and Kavaledurga Fort to be Implemented by District Authority Sl. 1. Project Component Renovation of All Heritage Structures located at both Nagara (Bidanoor) and Kavaledurga Action Plan Separate renovation plan to be prepared for each of the structures using ASI recognized professionals and/or experts Nagara (Bidanoor) o Shivappanaika Palace o Fort (incl. Darbar Hall, Akka Thangi Kola & cannon) o Devaganga Tank
Sl.
Project Component
Action Plan o Neelakenteshwara Temple o Gudde Venkataramana Swamy Temple Kavaledurga o Kavaledurga Fort o Mylaareshwara Shrine o Srikanteshwara Temple District Administration to explore and provide direct connectivity between the Nagara (Bidanoor) and Kavaledurga through a road. There is no direct connectivity between the two locations Basic amenities to essentially include the following: Well maintained public toilet blocks for men and women (pay & use format) Safe drinking water Small restaurant with 15-20 seating 3-4 retail kiosks spread across the area Parking space for 4 buses and 10 cars (can be varied based on land availability) with driver rest room District Administration has prepared proposal for developing signage in and around the Nagara (Bidanoor) Fort and Kavaledurga Fort along with many other tourist locations in the district. It is recommended to implement the proposal Proposal for the short-term (within 5 years) includes only provision of basic amenities as detailed in Item 3 above Budget hotel may be required during the long-term (after 10 years). It is recommended to earmark land for budget hotel (20-25 rooms) as part of the overall area improvement scheme
2.
Road Connectivity between the Nagara (Bidanoor) and Kavaledurga Provision of basic civic amenities at both locations
3.
4.
Provision of Signage at both Locations
5.
Provision of Infrastructure
Tourism
It is recommended that the District Authority appoint relevant experts to detail out the above proposition and prepare a detailed project report for the implementation. In addition, following additional projects / initiatives to be implemented/taken-up by the District Authority: Institute of Hotel Management; Pravasi Soudha; Short-term courses for Guides, Taxi Operators, Naturalists; JLR Resort at Talakalale; and Jungle Camp at Sakrebyle. Projects to be Implemented under PPP Format Following are some of the identified shelf of tourism projects for implementation on publicprivate-partnership model comprising Hotels, Resorts, Camps, Wayside Amenities and others Nittur-Kalyanichouka; Talaguppa; Agumbe or Thirthahalli; Kargal; Ropeway at Jog Falls; Tourism Kiosks - Railway Station, Jog, KSRTC, DC Office; Floating Restaurant at Gajanur; Water Sports at Gajanur, Linganamakki, Kalyanichauka; and
River Rafting in Tunga River. It is recommended to implement the above projects under public-private-partnership model with Government being the facilitator of land. However, considering the fact that the tourism is yet to be well developed in the district challenges of attracting private investment, it is proposed to implement commercially most-viable projects on pilot basis before taking up full set of proposed projects/initiatives. It is also recommended to develop a civic amenity sites under public-private-partnership with following salient features: Development and O&M of Basic Civic Amenities area at all tourist locations under Commercial Format. Area requirement is estimated as 10,000-12,000 sq. ft. Components include: o Well maintained public toilet blocks for men and women (pay & use format) o Safe drinking water o Small restaurant with 15-20 seating o 3-4 retail kiosks spread across the area o Parking space for minimum 4 buses and 10 cars (shall be varied based on location specific requirements) with driver rest room o Provision of advertisement in the area Setting up a Committee comprising representatives from the Office of the DC, DoT, Police and ULB to coordinate maintenance and cleanliness of the basic amenities and tourist areas
6.5.5 IMPLEMENTATION OF SHORT-TERM INTUITIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEASURES

Under the short-term institutional development measures, following initiatives are proposed to be implemented within 5-year time horizon: Local institutions to manage destinations o Stree-Shakti Groups; o Youth Associations; and o Village Forest Committees. Heritage Society of Shimoga
6.5.6 DEVELOP PROPOSED PACKAGE TO INCREASE DURATION OF STAY OF TOURISTS

The table below presents proposed tourism packages to be developed and implemented in the short-term time horizon. Table 6.9: Proposed Short-Term Packaging Strategy under the Proposed Tourism Master Plan of Shimoga District Sl. No. Package Average Stay Duration Required 3-Days List of Tourist Attractions Remarks
1.
Package 1
Shimoga: Fort, Gajanur Dam, Lion Safari, Sakrebyle Sagar: Ikkari Temple (ASI) Jog Falls: Eco and adventure tourism Agumbe: Sunset Point
Proposed package to increase single day visit to 3-day visit Appropriate promotion may facilitate success of PPP Projects.
2.
Package 2
5-days
Tourist attractions under Package 1 Linganmakki Valley: Eco and adventure tourism Kodachadri: Eco and adventure tourism
To be packaged and promoted to increase potential duration of stay
It is recommended to formalize the above package for implementation as part of the Tourism Master Plan.
6.5.7 IDENTIFICATION OF LAND AND MASTER PLAN FOR PROPOSED DESTINATION

As consented by the key industry stakeholders, it is recommended to develop a Tourism Destination with Jog as the Preferred Tourism Location due to its International Popularity. The proposed Tourism Destination is required to have about 75-100 acres land in close proximity to Jog Falls with access to water frontage. It is suggested that the District Authority should make an effort to identify the suitable land. It is also recommended to prepare a comprehensive Master Plan for the development of the proposed Tourism Destination covering the following salient features: Destination to have multiple activities on a common platform Hospitality development - luxury accommodation of different typologies (regular rooms, tents, cottages, etc.) Retail and entertainment encompassing local activities like crafts, folk dances, local Malnad food, etc. Multiple theme parks showcasing different activities of the Malnad region (work with artisans concept) Amusement park with variety activities Destination may also showcase activities of other districts in the State Packaged tours to be organized from the proposed tourist destination to cover different themes based on the interest of the tourists (may opt one/two or all) Heritage Religious Leisure and Adventure Eco / Wildlife Proposed Tourist Destination (to be developed near existing tourist attraction) is a One-Stop point to get exposure to all activities of the region and to visit all tourist attractions of the district
6.5.8 INITIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSED INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING & CAPACITY BUILDING MEASURES - LONG-TERM
This aspect of the proposed Master Plan is a key feature towards successful implementation. This aspect has been presented in detail under the Action Plan for Implementation.
6.6
INVESTMENT ESTIMATE FOR IMPLEMENTING SHORT-TERM ACTION PLAN

Investment and budget estimate is prepared only for the short-term implementation plan proposed under the proposed Tourism Master Plan for the district. The short-term action plan is suggested for a period of 5 years. The table below summarizes the componentwise budget estimate for the proposed short-term implementation plan.
Table 6.10: Budget Estimate for the Short-Term Implementation Plan under the Proposed Tourism Master Plan of Shimoga District
Figures in INR Crores
Sl. No. 1. 2.
Project Component Implementation of Ongoing Tourism Development Projects Components under Major Destinations and Circuit Development Scheme of Government of India Develop Tourism Triangle covering Gajanur (Shimoga)-AgumbeJog Development of Off-Circuit Single Destinations, Heritage Circuit and Last-Mile Connectivity Develop Proposed Package to Increase Duration of Stay of Tourists Implementation of Short-Term Intuitional Development Measures Implementation of Identified Projects at Different Tourist Attractions o Projects to be Implemented by the District Authority* o Institute of Hotel Management o Projects to be Implemented under PPP Format Identification of Land and Master Plan for Proposed Destination Total Estimated Project Cost / Investment Investment under already sanctioned ongoing tourism development projects Total Net Estimated Project Cost / Investment
Estimated Project Cost / Investment 50.29 100.00
3.
25.00
4.
20.00 195.29 50.29 145.00
* Includes estimate of INR 10 crores for Area Development Scheme encompassing both Nagara (Bidanoor) Fort and Kavaledurga Fort, to be taken up by District Authority
Components under the Major Destinations and Circuit Development Scheme are proposed to be implemented under the Product/Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits scheme of the Government of India. The guidelines for the scheme are given in Annexure - 4. Based on the above table, estimated project cost / investment under the proposed Tourism Master Plan is INR 195.29 crores over a period of 5 years. It may be noted that INR 50.29 crores is already sanctioned by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. Excluding this sanctioned amount, balance estimated project cost / investment is INR 145.00 crores over a period of 5 years. It is recommended that the actual estimate shall be prepared based on the priorities of the district authority for implementing different identified components through a Detailed Project Report.
6.7
ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION
6.7.1 KEY ELEMENTS AND COMPONENTS

The successful realization of the strategies outlined in the previous section is dependent upon the implementation of specific actions designed to drive each strategy. These actions are outlined below in the form of programmes. They are recommended as the overall strategy and take into account the progress / initiatives already undertaken on the one hand and on the other the identification of new priorities.
Many of the recommendations of the Master Plan either have been, or are in the process of being, implemented. This applies particularly to the area of product and infrastructural development, but less so in the areas of knowledge and know how, marketing, training, capacity building and improving tourisms value added and linkages with other sectors of the economy. This is the focus of the action programmes, viz: Improving knowledge and know-how Attracting capital investment Enhancing and expanding the tourism product Improving service standards Improving access transport Improving safety and security Creating greater market awareness Strengthening institutions and economic linkages
6.7.2 IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW

Improving knowledge and know-how relates to establishing a statistical database, compilation of an inventory of resources, development planning and information systems. Establish a Reliable and Comprehensive Tourism Statistical Data Base There is need to establish a reliable statistical database for the tourism sector. The existing tourism statistics (including arrival statistics, accommodation statistics, and visitor survey statistics) are far from satisfactory in terms of coverage, accuracy and the timeliness with which they are published. It is recommended to establish a Working Group should be established to examine this issue and to advise on the development and implementation of improved systems, introduction of the entry/departure cards, carrying out bi-annual accommodation survey, conducting regular international passenger exit survey, and an inventory (databank) of tourism resources. Undertake an Inventory of Tourism Resources For effective development planning on inventory of tourism resources must be compiled and updated on a regular basis. This would involve not just an enumeration of the various resources, amenities and facilities - but also include a qualitative description. Assess Tourisms Economic Significance Research needs to be carried out on the economic impact and significance of the tourism sector, including the contribution it makes to GDP, foreign exchange earnings, employment, government revenues, etc., and its linkages with other sectors. It is recommended to establish a Working Group to develop a satellite account for the tourism sector within the state accounting system, an output of which will be a more robust measure of the industrys contribution to GDP. Prepare Development Plans The District authorities under the direct supervision of the Office of the DC should take the lead in the formulation of plans for the development of the priority tourism circuits identified in this Master Plan. The development plans should identify projects for implementation in 5-year time horizon and coordination efforts required to realize the same. Set-up an Interactive Tourism Information System It is important to have e-enabled interactive Tourism Information System in place. Regular upgradtion is critical to ensure effective usage of the system.
Summary of Actions Required Establish a more reliable statistical database Undertake an inventory of tourism resources
Assess tourisms economic significance Prepare development plans Set-up an inter-active tourism information system
6.7.3 ATTRACTING CAPITAL INVESTMENT

Based on an updated projected foreign bed-night demand, the total hotel/lodge/hospitality room requirements are for some 17,000 rooms by 2015, of which an estimated 3,175 rooms would need to be of international standard by that year. There is no availability of international standard rooms in the district at present and the development of the same will require substantial new capital investment. While there has been a considerable amount of new investment in recent years for development of non-starred accommodation, the pace of investment needs to be increased for both starred and non-starred category rooms if the objectives of the Master Plan are to be met. It is the task of the private sector to invest in the product and to operate it commercially. It will do this provided there is a positive climate for enterprise development. The role of State Government / district authorities is to create the enabling environment that establishes an attractive climate for investment. This relates to all aspects of doing business, ranging from regulations governing the establishment of companies to the ease with which profits can be repatriated. There is no doubt that the fiscal and investment legislation and regulatory initiatives be in proposed in the new Tourism Policy of the State would go a long way towards achieving the goal of creating a more friendly facilitative environment for private business. Assess Financing Needs In the Master Plan, it is recommended that there should be a study of the financing needs of the tourism sector to serve as a basis for deciding whether or not any new financing arrangements need to be put in place for start-up and existing small and medium enterprises, and how they would operate. This would encourage greater involvement by indigenous entrepreneurs of the district in the tourism sector. Review Investment Incentives Related to this are the type of investment incentives provided in India/Karnataka for foreign investors, and how these compare with other countries in the region. The scope of this Master Plan is limited and thus this aspect needs to be addressed at India/Karnataka level. Establish Investment Promotion Unit within the District There is a need to establish Shimoga Investment Promotion Centre within the district authority. The role of this promotion center is to provide major assistance to investors who would have had previously to communicate and negotiate with several government departments. This unit should facilitate potential investors to complete most of the steps needed to start-up a business at one location. This unit should also be pro-active in seeking out potential investors (e.g. through the identification of project opportunities) in the tourism sector. This should be done in close cooperation with the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. Preparation and Promotion of Product Profiles There is a need to prepare detailed project profiles for specific investment or development opportunities in the tourism sector and to promote these opportunities to investors both within and outside Shimoga.
Investment Promotion Workshop
A workshop should be convened with the private sector to map-out with Government / district authorities, the fiscal regime and tax incentives to be put in place to attract investment to the tourism sector. Investment opportunities should also be identified and an investment promotion plan formulated which would have significant private sector involvement.
Summary of Actions Required Assess financing needs of small and medium tourism enterprises Review investment incentives Establishment of investment promotion section in the Tourism Division Preparation and promotion of product profiles for tourism sector Convene Investment Promotion Workshop to identify fiscal regime and package of incentives to attract investment, identify investment opportunities and formulate investment promotion plan.
6.7.4 ENHANCING AND EXPANDING THE TOURISM PRODUCT

Improve Quality Standards It is generally agreed that Shimoga should continue to focus primarily (but not exclusively) on the quality end of the tourism market in keeping with the high value/low volume development philosophy. This means offering a high quality product, based on internationally recognized standards. Establish Classification System Currently, there is no accommodation classification system in operation in Shimoga. The purpose of a classification system is to signal to the potential customer or tour operator the type and quality of facilities and services to be expected. Otherwise, customers are purchasing a product sight unseen, although some will rely on word-of mouth or guidebook recommendation and use of the internet. The establishment of a classification and grading system will have the added advantage that it will identify existing standards throughout the accommodation sector and thus provide a reference point from which standards could gradually be improved. In time, the system could be extended to other sectors of the tourism industry, such as restaurants, ground tour operators, etc. The licensing, grading and classification system will need to be backed up by a team of inspectors who would monitor and enforce standards Enhance Quality of the Tourism Experience Quality in tourism extends far beyond the issue of comfort which is mainly dependent upon the quality of facilities and services. It is also a matter of the quality of the tourism experience. The Master Plan strategy of expanding the range tourism products to include leisure, ecological, adventure and wildlife tourism is designed to meet this need and to make a visit to Shimoga an even more rewarding experience. Develop the Cultural Component of the Tourism Product The main actions proposed in order to develop the cultural component of the tourism product are Identification of restoration/conservation needs of historic and cultural sites in priority development zones and the implementation of restoration/conservation measures for selected sites The establishment of interpretative/exhibition centres for a number of themes handicrafts, folk art, village life, etc. In certain strategic locations, these centres could form the nucleus of tourist service centres providing information, toilet and other facilities for visitors. Protect the Environment from Degradation
It is also vitally important to ensure that the natural environment, on which most of Shimogas tourism is totally dependent, is protected from overuse or inappropriate development. Make Planning System more Transparent There is also need to make the physical planning system more transparent, especially as regards the granting of permits for new hotel construction. District authorities may need to be given greater powers to enforce the regulations concerning environmental impact assessments and to take greater note of the concerns of local communities.
Summary of Actions Required Improvement of the physical quality of part of the plant in the accommodation sector, both through refurbishment and new development. Specification of standards for different categories of accommodation and to classify and grade all establishments accordingly Identification of restoration/conservation needs of historic and cultural sites in priority development zones and the implementation of restoration/conservation measures at selected sites. Establishment of interpretative/exhibition centres for a number of themes - handicrafts, folk art, village life, etc. Establishment of visitor service centres, providing information, toilet facilities and medical stations, etc., at particular strategic locations. Protect the environment from degradation Make planning system more transparent
6.7.5 IMPROVING SERVICE STANDARDS

There is a major requirement for training if the quality of the staff in the tourism sector is to be brought to an acceptable level. The district does not have any training establishments while existing training establishments in the State do not have the capacity, trainers and/or facilities to undertake what is required. Training on the scale required, particularly at craft level, cannot take place through the vocational school system alone which implies that there will have to be a substantial degree of on-the-job training. But this means that the trainers must first themselves be competent before they train anyone else. Train-the-Trainer Programmes What is required is the development of a cadre of top quality, practical indigenous Shimogas own supervisors, by firstly identifying skilled practitioners in the industry and then training them through train-the-trainer programmes on how to impart their knowledge and skill to others. They would continue to work at their usual job, but within their own establishment they would become the catalyst for training. Training Plan and Policy Section The training function with the Department of Tourism should be strengthened in terms of staffing, material and operational resources. With the assistance of an Advisory Committee from the industry, the training unit should be responsible for the identification of training needs; help formulate curricula; advice on the examination and approval of training establishments; advice on nomination standards and awards; and coordinate the delivery of in-service training. Key, of course, to the whole question of training for the tourism industry is the role of the district authorities. Formalize and Upgrade Tour and Safari Guide Training A programme to improve the quality of tour and safari guides needs to be established as a priority. A guide should receive a license only after the successful completion of a formal programme in tour guiding, with (ideally) external accreditation/ validation. To maintain
standards throughout the industry, an association of licensed tour and safari guides may be established.
Summary of Actions Required Formulate a manpower training policy and plan Capacity building measures for the homestays. Secure a sustainable level of funding for tourism training Strengthen training function within Department of Tourism to facilitate as a focal point for tourism training to formulate and oversee the implementation of state tourism training policy. The training function should also guide local authorities to identify and prioritize tourism training needs on an ongoing basis and help formulate curricula, standards and syllabi for tourism training at all levels Advise on the examination standards and systems of awards for tourism training at all levels for both preentry and in-service employees Communicate effectively to the industry all developments in tourism training at state/district level and represent the views of the industry to all relevant education and training regulatory bodies in response to training needs identified, co-ordinate the delivery of required in -service training throughout the district through train -the-trainer programmes Formalize and up-grade tour and safari guide training - establish tour and safari guide association
6.7.6 IMPROVING ACCESS TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Regional Level Access Though Shimoga City is well connected due to its district headquarters city status, significant improvement in terms of connectivity to reduce the travel time is critical to Shimoga tourism to get adequate recognition on the International Tourism Map. In the context of Shimoga tourism, Bangalore will be the starting point for foreign tourists and domestic tourists from other states. Operation of the new international airport at Bangalore would encourage tourists flow to the state. Thus, any improvement initiatives in terms of connectivity should be to improve connectivity of Shimoga City to Bangalore. Most important aspects in this regard are Improving connectivity of the Shimoga City to Bangalore to bring down travel time from existing 7 hours to at least 4.5 hours; and Operationalization of proposed airport at Shimoga - to facilitate easy access to foreign tourists and long distance domestic tourists. Internal Access Infrastructure There is also a need to improve internal access by road & rail. Tourists need to be able to get to those places they would like to visit (or tourism planners would like them to visit) in reasonable speed, comfort and safety.
Summary of Actions Required Improving connectivity of the Shimoga City to Bangalore to bring down travel time from existing 7 hours to at least 4.5 hours; and Operationalization of proposed airport at Shimoga - to facilitate easy access to foreign tourists and long distance domestic tourists. Improve internal access (within the district) by road & rail
6.7.7 IMPROVING SECURITY

A security awareness programme will have to be established to re-assure potential tourists of their safety while traveling to and staying in Shimoga. Since the issue of safety and security encompasses more than the tourism industry, the programme should be set-up
under the direction of the DC Office. The programme itself will involve a wide range of stakeholders. In tourism, these will include airlines, hotels, ground tour operators.
6.7.8 CREATING GREATER MARKET AWARENESS

Budgetary Support for Creating Market Awareness The level of awareness of Shimoga in international tourist markets is still very limited. The Department of Tourism and district authorities are doing their best, but have very limited resources. The budgetary allocation should cover national marketing campaign and other costs like personnel costs, administration, etc. The existing supply of promotional material like brochures, maps and general tourist information materials, etc. are inadequate. More research is needed to learn about both the customer. Market demand studies need to be carried out in the major source markets to provide information on potential tourists perceptions, attitudes, holiday requirements, etc. A more pro-active use of the Internet to promote Shimoga is required. The existing website of the district authority needs to be upgraded and linked to other industry sites and platforms. Improved overseas representation is also needed. There is a need to formulate an overall marketing strategy and plan, based on a realistic, sustainable budget. Image Creation Following discussions with various NGOs and tour operators of the district, the image recommended for Shimoga is one of an eco-tourism leisure destination, emphasizing the abundance of wildlife and diversity of the landscape which is better than widely marketed products of Kerala. Shimoga should also advertise the fact that it is not a mass tourism destination and that it is an ideal base for activity holidays, e.g., walking, trekking, canoeing, etc. Shimogas un-spoilt natural environment and beautiful backwaters should also be highlighted. Holiday Fair Shimoga An annual holiday fair or exhibition should be established. This would bring together the tourism product producers in an exhibition hall and be given to members of the public. Because of the population concentration, it should be located in the proposed destination to be located in Jog Falls during monsoon season. The exhibition would include not just hotels, but also lodges, camps, handicraft procedures, etc. The exhibition should be organized over a weekend to facilitate attendance by the public and should begin with travel trade days, when the exhibition would only be open to local ground tour operators and invited foreign tour operators.
Summary of Actions Required Undertake market demand studies in main source markets Use public transport (KSRTC) to market the tourism attractions in the district. Formulate a coherent marketing strategy, plan and budgets Create a new brand image for Shimoga Produce an attractive and high quality set of collaterals Implement advertising and public relations campaigns aimed at both consumers and trade More effective use of internet in the marketplace to promote and distribute the Shimoga tourism product. The existing website of the district authority needs to be further developed. Establish overseas representation Organization of an annual Shimoga Holiday Fair
6.7.9 STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS AND ECONOMIC LINKAGES

Strengthening Existing Institutions District authority should make proactive efforts to strengthen and empower various institutions who make direct and indirect contributions to the tourism promotion and development in the district. Some of these institutions required to be strengthened and/or empowered are: Saahasa Samskriti Kendra, Shimoga hotelier association, Shimoga Malanad Improvement Society, Shimoga Banker Association, Shimoga Society for Promotion of adventure and Rock Climbing (SPARK) Venture Adventure Club India Care India Basecamp Adventures Draco Adventures Angel Nature Admire Ecotrailz Real Adventurers The Adventurers Manav Adreno General Thimmaiah Academy for Adventure Nature Adventurers Indus Outback ACE Paddlers Shristi Adventure Consultants Backpackers Escapade Trails Ozone India District authority may expand this list on regular basis considering the roles played by different institutions from time to time for tourism promotion and development in the district. Strengthening Linkages With Other Sectors of the Economy To maximize the socio-economic benefits of tourism as much as possible, the revenues received from international tourism must remain within Shimoga District and not leak out of the economy to pay for imported goods or services to meet the needs of tourists. The primary tasks associated are to: Identify all imported inputs to tourism and the extent to which these could be supplied by companies having presence in the district; Communicate the opportunities that exist to substitute imported goods consumed by the tourism sector with those offered by operating companies in the district; Identify ways in which indigenous products could be sold to tourists can be expanded Organization of an exhibition whereby the tourism industry would show the items/products which it imports, indicating the range and quantity of purchases to potential suppliers of the district.
Summary of Actions Required Strengthening existing institutions Capacity building for the homestays Strengthening linkages with other sectors of the economy
identify all imported inputs and extent to which they could be supplied by companies having presence in the Shimoga District Communicate these opportunities to Shimoga trading/productive sector Improve merchandising of indigenous products that could be sold to tourists - organization of import substitution exhibition
6.8
ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
6.8.1 POLICY ISSUES

There are a number of policy issues which the State Government and/or Shimoga District Authority must address as they underpin the successful implementation of the Tourism Master Plan. These policy issues concern: Role of the public sector Funding and respective roles of the Tourism Division and the TTB Encouraging investment and enterprise development Pricing with regard to use of natural resources Empowerment of local communities Role of the Public Sector The role of public sector in tourism varies throughout the country. Generally speaking, the commercial aspects of tourism are operated by the private sector while the noncommercial aspects, such as destination marketing, are the responsibility of the public sector. In Shimoga, it is recommended that the role of the public sector in tourism should encompass: infrastructural investment registration, grading and inspection development planning manpower planning and training destination marketing enterprise development security awareness Funding and Respective Roles of the Tourism Division and the TTB Both the Department of Tourism Division and district authority receive very limited funds from the State Government. The result is that they cannot undertake their roles effectively. the human resource development function is understaffed. office equipment is required in terms of computers, printers, photocopiers, report binders, etc. the planning function is under resourced as are the statistics and research functions. lack of resources has impeded the implementation of a hotel grading and inspection system the marketing function is under resourced. In the medium to long term, an important issue to be decided concerns the division of responsibilities between the Department of Tourism and district authority. Generally speaking: policy formulation is seen to be responsibility of the Government of Karnataka or Department of Tourism policy implementation is seen to be primarily the responsibility of district authority under the supervision of the DC Office.
Encouraging Investment and Enterprise A crucial role of State Government is the encouragement of enterprise development. This involves the establishment of a positive climate for investment and the encouragement of entrepreneurship. Price Control Most of the cities in Karnataka have a two-tiered pricing structure for tourism services which includes the accommodation sector. The most expensive level is levied on nonresidents. The least expensive is available to residents only. Shimoga is no exception. The tiered price system should be phased out over time. Essentially, tariff differentials should be geared towards stimulating demand (e.g., in the off-season) rather than diluting revenue. Empowerment of Local Communities The framework for empowering local communities has been put in place by the District Authority. However, the existing institutional framework does not empower these local communities adequately. There is a need to strengthen and empower these local communities for the greater promotion and development of tourism in the district.
6.8.2 RESPONSIBILITY FOR TOURISM PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

Responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the Plan rests with the Shimoga District Authority. However, Department of Tourism can play a vital role in providing requisite support to the district authority in terms of facilitation required at the state level and in terms of policy and budgetary support. It is clear that the Shimoga District Authority will need additional training and external assistance to oversee the implementation of the Plan. The Plan and its component programmes will have to be continually managed and monitored if implementation is to be successful.
It is noteworthy that Master Plan is a strategic document providing development and policy framework for overall comprehensive and sustainable tourism development in the district. It is more instructive to view the development of the tourism sector as a process rather than as a sequence of activities. Thus, no single measure can bring much benefit without at least some progress in respect of the other actions. Establishing the appropriate institutional arrangements (policies, laws, incentives, etc.) will create the climate for enterprise development within Shimoga District on the one hand, and on the other, ensure the promotion of the district as a holiday destination in the different source markets. Manpower training, involving the transfer of knowledge and technology will ensure that the tourism industry can meet international standards of service and customer care. The combination of a trained workforce and the appropriate institutional arrangements will result in a competitive private tourism sector, attracting foreign investment and be attractive to holidaymakers. Thus, it is recommended that the Shimoga District Authority shall make a concerted effort to initiate proposed institutional strengthening and capacity building measures to realize maximum benefits from the proposed Tourism Master Plan and ensure successful implementation
7
7.1
ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE - 1: LIST OF ASI MONUMENTS
Monument/Site Jaina Temple (Shanthinatha Basadi) Someshvara Temple Trimurthinarayana Temple Devaganga Ponds at Basavanabayane Bherundeshvara Temple Kedaresvara Temple Tripurantesvara Temple Somanathaswamy Temple Fortress and Renuka Temple Basati's and Inscriptions Aghoreshvara Temple Fort Rameswara Temple Location Bandalike Bandalike Bandalike Nagar Bellgavi Bellgavi Bellgavi Bellgavi Chandragutti Humcha Ikkeri Kavaledurga Keladi Monument/Site Kaitabhesvara Temple Parshwanatha Basadi Rameshwara Temple Rameshwara Temple Temples and Inscriptions Inscribed Pillar Jaina Basti With Brahmadeva Pillar Mallikarjuna & Ramesvara Temple Palace Site Outside the Fort Shivappa Naik's Fort Inscibed Pillar Pranavesvara Temple Location Kubattur Kubattur Kubattur Kudli Kuppagadde Malavalli Melagi Nadkalsi Nagar Nagar Talagunda Talagunda
7.2
ANNEXURE - 2: PHOTO GALLERY OF SHIMOGA
7.3
ANNEXURE - 3: LIST OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTED AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS

Name / Designation/ Department Mandra Kumar.K, Revenue Dept., Bhadrvathi Taluk Smita Bijjur, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forests Wild Life Division, Shimoga Remarks/ Suggestions Tourism Department and Forest Department should work together in tourism development in Shimoga District Construction and augmentation of budget hotels at tourist potential areas in each Taluk BRP Dam should be developed like KRS Financial support were been provided of 100.00 lakhs during 2008-09. Presently requires further more financial support from Tourism Department to develop Taverekoppa Lion Safari into a full fledges tourist destination in the district. Augmentation of existing Tiger & Lion Safari with other wild animals and species like reptile park, bird sanctuary Augmentation of infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity etc. at Taverekoppa Lion Safari and Sakrebylu Elephant Camp Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Augmentation of infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity etc. at More financial support is required for Sakrebylu Elephant Camp and Gudavi Bird Sanctuary from the department of tourism Local NGOs should be used for identifying the tourist potential areas in the District Government should engage a agencies to promote tourism and also do the marketing as well Kuvempu University should initiate action to start hotel management institute department in the university Unemployed youth should be involved in tourist development activities Need of convention centre at proposed Sogane Airport, Shimoga All tourism projects should be executed through District Tourism Council Boat Race should be conducted annually in the back water of Gajanur Private agencies should be involved in tour packing All tourist destination in the district should be provided with police security or forest officer Many of the destination especially which are remote in nature are been utilized by the antisocial element. Even prohibited drugs such as brown sugar, liquor are been transported via forest route Augmentation of infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity etc. at Kodachadri and other tourist destination in the district Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature Stringent regulation and punishment should regulated to avoid littering the tourist destination All tourist destinations in the district should be mapped out and that should explain the importance and the history of the place.
Gopi Sarthi, Mathura Paradise, BKA road, Shimoga
H. N Krishna Murthi, Nittur, Kanyani Chowk, Hosanagar Taluk
Name / Designation/ Department Vijayandra Roa, Inchrage, Sahasa Sanskrithe acadamy, Shimoga V. Shaik Mahaboob, Nagara Sabha President, Bhadravthi B.K Ranganath, Asst. Forest Officer, Sagar Taluk Dr. Kaldi Venkatesh Joesh, Incharge of Keladi Musuem
Remarks/ Suggestions Affiliated agency by the tourism department is required for booking rooms for the tourist Local NGOs should be used for identifying the tourist potential areas in the District Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature Unemployed youth should be involved in tourist development activities Welcome Arch should be constructed at the entrance of Shimoga
Boarding and Lodging should be developed at Sagar Taluk Need of Tourist information center in the taluk. Sharavathi Reserve forest should not be misused for commercial purpose As of now there is only one tourist information center in Jog. The same need to be developed in Sagar that too near the bus stand so that the entire tourist gets prior information of the region Government agencies should be involved in tour packing or it should allow the local pubic to take initiative in the development of tourist destination. For the same unemployed youth can also trained and can be involved in tourist developmental activities Heritage places like Hosagunda, Nadakalasi, Badalike is still unknown to the tourist. This should highlighted with proper signages and their history should be depicted in multi languages. Need of Tourist information center in each taluk. Need of research institute for studying the heritage structure in the district Need of youth hostel at tourist location such as Jog Falls, Kodachadri, Hosagunda, Ramachandrapura, Devagange, Kavaledurga and Chandragutti etc. Map showing the location of all tourist potential areas in the district should be mapped out along with history of the region Rejuvenation of heritage area should be carried out and the unauthorized properties which exist near the heritage area should be removed Art gallery is required in each taluk, which primary depicts the history, art and architecture of the region Malnad product and food items should be exhibited All lakes in the district should governed by an affiliated agency and the same came developed for tourism in terms of soft sports Rope way and parks should be developed in Jog Falls. Linggamakki Dam should be developed like KRS
Name / Designation/ Department
Remarks/ Suggestions Government guest should be allotted to public during the peak season with an nominal accommodation amount All tourist destination in the district should be marketed via media and news paper
Ravi Bidnoor, Kanada Prabha Reporter
Welcome Arch should be constructed at the entrance of Bidnoor Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature Need of Tourist information center in the taluk. All lakes in the district should governed by an affiliated agency and the same came developed for tourism in terms of soft sports Basic infrastructure such as toilets and drinking water facilities should be constructed near the fort area A research has to be done on the heritage structure and art and architecture in Bhadravathi Taluk All tourist destination in the district should be marketed via media and news paper Package tour through bus should be developed Basic infrastructure such as toilets and drinking water facilities should be constructed near the fort area Need of Tourist information center in the taluk. Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded All tourist destinations in the district should be mapped out and that should explain the importance and the history of the place. Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Private agencies should be involved in tour packing Public Toilets should be constructed at each tourist spot Augmentation of infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity etc. at Sakrebylu Elephant Camp More financial support is required for Sakrebylu Elephant Camp and Gudavi Bird Sanctuary from the department of tourism BRP Dam should be developed like KRS Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Linggamakki Dam should be developed like KRS Government guest should be allotted to public during the peak season with an nominal accommodation amount Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Public transport system should be improved
DM. Manjappa, KSRTC, Bhadravathi
Nazar Saif, KSRTC, Davagere
R. Chandrakanth, Forest Officer, Shimoga K. R. Nagaraj, Tarnsport Officer, KSRTC, Shimoga
B.G. Timmamurthi,
Name / Designation/ Department DYSP, Shimoga
Remarks/ Suggestions All tourist destinations in the district should be mapped out and that should explain the importance and the history of the place Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Private agencies should be involved in tour packing Shivappanayaka Fort should rejuvenated and an area improvement schemes has to be developed to maintain all heritage structure in the district Boat Race should be conducted annually in the back water of Gajanur Shivappanayaka Fort should be rejuvenated and an area improvement schemes has to be developed to maintain all heritage structure in the district All tourist destinations in the district should be mapped out and that should explain the importance and the history of the place. Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Private agencies should be involved in tour packing Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Government guest should be allotted to public during the peak season with an nominal accommodation amount All tourist destinations in the district should be mapped out and that should explain the importance and the history of the place. Private agencies should be involved in tour packing Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Public transport system should be improved Shettihalli wild life sanctuary should be developed on the line with Bhadra Wild Life sanctuary and the same cane be arranged for safari tripe Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Private agencies should be involved in tour packing Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Public transport system should be improved All lakes in the district should governed by an affiliated agency and the same came developed for tourism Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature
Jayana, Nagar Sabha President
M. Lingappa, Daily News Paper, Shimoga
B.G. Malleshappa, Malanad Improvement society, Shimoga
A.U. Ramesh, Home Stay, Mandagadde
Meghraj T.D, Nagar Sabha President, Sagara Taluk
Name / Designation/ Department S.D. Thammaiah, Bank Staff, Shimoga
Remarks/ Suggestions Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Public transport system should be improved Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature Area improvement scheme is required at jog falls
Hari Shankara, Pollution Control Board, Shimoga T. Heeralal, Forest Officer Bhadravathi S.A. Srikanta, Research officer, Shimoga
Area improvement schemes for all lakes and backwaters
Public Toilets at all tourist destination Area improvement scheme is required at jog falls Basic infrastructure such as toilets and drinking water facilities should be constructed in all tourist destination Boarding and Lodging should be developed Need of Tourist guide in all tourist destination in the district and they should Multi languagestic in nature All lakes in the district should governed by an affiliated agency and the same came developed for tourism Signages with road map showing the location of the tourist potential areas should be upgraded Government agencies should be involved in tour packing or it should allow the local pubic to take initiative in the development of tourist destination. For the same unemployed youth can also trained and can be involved in tourist developmental activities Public transport system should be improved Art gallery is required in each taluk, which primary depicts the history, art and architecture of the region Local NGOs should be used for identifying the tourist potential areas in the District Public transport system should be improved Road connectivity should be improved Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination Local NGOs should be used for identifying the tourist potential areas in the District Boarding and lodging facilities should be constructed at each tourist destination
M.A.S.Begha, HQA, Shimoga
Name / Designation/ Department
Remarks/ Suggestions Local NGOs should be used for identifing the tourist potential areas in the District
7.4
ANNEXURE - 4: PHOTO GALLERY OF OF STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION
7.5
ANNEXURE - 5: GUIDELINES OF SCHEME FOR PRODUCT/INFRASTRCUTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR DESTINATIONS AND CIRCUITS

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Development of Shimoga District as Tourist Destination and Preparation of Tourism Master Plan for Shimoga

Final Report -1-

Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited

Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj

Final Report -2-

Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corporation Limited

Final Report -3-

TOURISM SCENARIO AT NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL............................................... 10

TOURISM SCENARIO IN KARNATAKA ............................................................................17

2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 2.2.6

TOURISM SCENARIO AT SHIMOGA............................................................................ 26

PERCEPTION ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATIONS ....................................................... 102

Final Report -4-

CASE STUDIES ON TOURISM FOCUSED DEVELOPMENTS.......................................... 108

5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3 5.2.4 5.2.5 5.2.6

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES ................................................................................113

5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.3.4 5.3.5 5.3.6

THEME BASED TOURISM DESTINATION ......................................................................122

5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5 5.4.6 5.4.7

RELEVANCE OF CASE STUDIES IN SHIMOGA CONTEXT ...............................................132

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN FOR SHIMOGA DISTRICT ............................ 136

6.3.1 6.3.2 6.3.3 6.3.4 6.3.5

PHASING PLAN ........................................................................................................146 SHORT-TERM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN .......................................................................148

6.7.1 6.7.2 6.7.3 6.7.4 6.7.5 6.7.6 6.7.7 6.7.8 6.7.9

Final Report -5-

ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ................................................................................166

ANNEXURE .......................................................................................................... 168

Final Report -6-

Final Report -7-

Final Report -8-

OBJECTIVES, SCOPE OF WORK AND FRAMEWORK

Final Report -9-

LIMITATIONS TO THE ASSIGNMENT

TOURISM SCENARIO AT NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL

2.1.2 GDP GROWTH

2.1.3 GROWTH OF TOURIST TRAFFIC

Year 2007 2008

World Tourist Arrivals (In Million) -

Tourist Arrival to India (Million) 5.08 5.37

Share of India in World Tourism -

% Change Over Previous Year 14.30% 5.60%

Source: 'Tourist Arrivals in India, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India

2.1.4 EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

2.1.5 CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE

2.1.6 INTERNATIONAL TOURISM RECEIPTS

2.1.7 AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

2.1.8 NATIONAL TOURISM POLICY

2.1.9 MAJOR TOURISM CIRCUITS AND DESTINATIONS IN INDIA

TOURISM SCENARIO IN KARNATAKA

2.2.1 GENERAL PROFILE

2.2.2 LOCATION AND PHYSIOGRAPHY

2.2.3 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

Road Connectivity and Network Map of Karnataka

Map Showing Existing and Proposed Airports

2.2.4 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

2.2.5 OVERVIEW OF TOURISM SCENARIO

2.2.6 RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

TOURISM SCENARIO AT SHIMOGA

3.1.1 GENERAL PROFILE

3.1.2 LOCATION AND REGIONAL SETTING

3.1.3 PHYSICAL FEATURES

3.1.4 REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

3.1.5 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE

TOURISM SCENARIO IN SHIMOGA