Open Street' to be made global event

Bengaluru: Seeing the massive response to the “Open Street” concept in the city  the government plans to make it an international event and a tourism draw.  It hopes to extend the concept to other places and use it to interest both international and domestic tourists, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced here on Friday.

 In other plans, the state- owned Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited will launch budget-class accommodation under the brand,  Jungle Camps and Trails and the  Golden Chariot luxury train- taken off the rails owing to poor public response -  will be relaunched with affordable packages. Also in the pipeline are  a comprehensive digital portal to provide information and services to tourists, a permanent exhibition centre of international standards for the  Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) in Mysuru, a “Kuteera” scheme for providing high quality basic amenities on national highways for tourists, holding of a Karnataka Travel Mart once  every two years, and promotion of air and heli taxi services at important tourism destinations.

Reservoirs of the British era in Pattadakallu, Aihole and Muchakhandi of Bagalakote district are set to  be revived and Karwar, Bidar and Chikkaballapura districts  developed as model tourism destinations. The historical water supply system in Bidar and Vijayapura will be revived as well and marketed as a tourism attraction.