Bangalore eyes the tourism pie

Bangalore may soon get another sobriquet as the tourist haven of India, if the state’s new tourism policy gets implemented in letter and spirit.

Principal secretary, tourism department, K Jothiramalingam said Bangalore would be one of the prime beneficiaries of the policy’s focus on developing destinations under public-private partnership (PPP) models.

He said the PPP model will ensure better services offered  by private players, while the government restricts itself to the role of a facilitator.

The move to introduce night safari in Bannerghatta Biological Park and create an international convention centre near the Bengaluru International Airport would go a long way in boosting Bangalore’s tourist potential, he pointed out.

Bangalore will also be promoted as a hub of medical and wellness tourism which is one of the lynchpins of the new policy, he added.

Hospitals would have to tie up with other nations, but follow the guidelines of the National Accreditation Boards for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.