The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : `Involve people in tourism development in Mysore'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 06, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

`Involve people in tourism development in Mysore'

By Our Staff Correspondent

A portion of the revenue generated from tourists should benefit the local economy.

MYSORE, MARCH 5. A national seminar on tourism held in the city recently put the focus on Mysore, but raised a few pertinent questions that have a bearing on the model of tourism development the city should follow.

While the Minister for Tourism, D.T. Jayakumar's plans for a tourism park on the foot of Chamundi Hills evoked strong protests, non-governmental organisations such as Mysore Grahakara Parishat have called for a comprehensive development plan that does not treat the issue of tourism development in isolation but calls for a holisitic approach, involving the public at large.

Maj. Gen.(retd.) Vombatkere, who is also president of the MGP, called for conserving the heritage of Mysore, not merely for tourism promotion, but for its intrinsic cultural value that is closely entwined with the ethos of the city.

Benefiting locals

It is perceived that tourism promotion should benefit the local community and help commoners to eke out a decent living and not a few businessmen who cater to the elite or those who tend to monopolise the business at the cost of the multitudes.

Sudhir Vombatkere, who is member of the Heritage Committee, constituted by the State Government, carried out a SWOT (Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats) analysis of tourism in Mysore. While the strengths and opportunities that lay in Mysore are self-evident, few talk of the threats.

As Mr. Vombaktere pointed out, the revenue generated from tourism in Mysore does not revert to the city but goes to Bangalore. A case in point is the crores of rupees generated during the Dasara festivities. The money is not ploughed back to develop the infrastructure, and local bodies, including the Mysore City Corporation, are forced to approach the State Government for additional funds to conduct Dasara festivities.

Mr. Vombatkere called for diverting a proportion of the profit accruing through tourism to infrastructure development in the city.

He cautioned against excessive dependence on tourism industry alone for the growth of the city and said that natural calamities or any disaster could turn the local economy topsy-turvy.

Beautification

Mr. Vombatkere drew attention to the ongoing efforts to "beautify" the city, which was not a panacea or a substitute for providing basic civic amenities whose benefits would be reaped by the local tax-payers.

"A happy, pleasant place for citizens is automatically a tourist attraction and make-ups cannot hide the disfigurements," he said.

The threat to the physical heritage of Mysore arose from deterioration of the structures, real estate development, unplanned and haphazard urban growth, lack of citizens' awareness, among others.

But the opportunities existed to stimulate improvements in living conditions by improving conditions that also favoured tourism development, he added.

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