Karnataka woos European tourists, investors with road shows

BANGALORE - Karnataka has launched road shows and publicity campaigns in several European countries to market the state as an investment and tourism destination.

The marketing effort is led by state Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister G. Janardhan Reddy, who is in Europe with a 10-member team, his office said in a press release here Thursday.

Though his visit is primarily to woo tourists and investments in the tourism sector, Reddy, a rich iron ore mine operator, is utilising the opportunity to invite investments in various areas in the state, the release said.

He is accompanied by close associate and state Health Minister B. Sriramulu and representatives of companies engaged in running hotels, resorts and organising tours, the release said.

The state tourism department has conducted a series of workshops, road-shows and publicity campaigns in Zurich, Brussels and Paris in the last two days, it said.

The road show at Zurich Wednesday was launched by Indian ambassador in Switzerland Chitra Narayanan, the release said.

Reddy noted at the function that while Karnataka was a popular destination among Britons, Germans and French, it needed to be marketed in other European countries as well. He urged the representatives of tour operators in Zurich present at the function to tap the tourism potential in Karnataka.

He told them that apart from general tourism, Karnataka was also a destination for medical tourism.

A lucky draw was held at the function and 16 people were chosen to tour Karnataka at the state government’s expense, the release said.