Brand Bangalore: from transit point to one-stop shop

Brand Bangalore: from transit point to one-stop shop

The Times of India


Bangalore: Karnataka tourism is set to engage the Bangalore City Corporation on a slightly different job. From catering just to Bangaloreans, the BCC will help tourism department turn the city into a tourist paradise by stretching its arms to the world outside.

In conjunction with BCC, the department is working at the drawing board. The end result might not be a Singapore or a Paris, but brand Bangalore may still draw tourists on its own steam rather than a transit or entry point to other destinations in Karnataka.

“The idea is to create spaces for tourists and market the city as a destination by itself, rather than a mid-way stop. Hence we’ve called the project Destination Bangalore,’’ tourism commissioner Mahendra Jain said.

Last year, an estimated two crore domestic tourists and 3.2 lakh foreign tourists visited Karnataka, but just a fraction spent more than a day or two in city. A high percentage of those who did were business travellers. The department hopes to change the scenario with the new project. In money terms, the project is not envisaged to cost much. About Rs 8-10 crore is all that the tourism department expects to spend to turn its ideas to reality and almost all of it is likely to come from the Union tourism ministry. However, conceptualisation and execution will remain the challenges.

“We’ve discussed our ideas with BCC and they’ve promised to come up with some concepts. It’ll definitely involve some beautification of the city along with a few new ideas like pedestrianisation of certain areas.’’ Though the department has worked with BCC in certain specific areas hitherto, Jain said it is the first time that it is collaborating so comprehensively. “The BCC knows the city well and it is beneficial to do this together,’’ he pointed out. Destination Bangalore is among the 29 projects, totally worth Rs 145 crore, that the department has put forth to the Union tourism ministry for funding for the year 2005-06.

Destination Bangalore

Improve Sankey tank and Ulsoor lake
Make Lalbagh high profile
Develop amphitheatre at Chitrakala Parishat and schedule regular cultural programmes
Beautify certain areas with flowering plants and trees, greenery
Pedestrianise high-density roads
Pave some areas with cobblestones
Set up innovative and eye-catching street furniture
Encourage pavement cafes
Promote shopping districts