The Mysore Travel Mart 2016, slated here from February 12 to 14, will focus on promoting places of tourist interest in the entire region.
Stakeholders will also come out with a road map for 2020 and submit it to the government to shore up revenue from tourism.
Addressing a press conference here, Travel Mart chairman B.S. Prashanth and Mysore Travel Agents Association president C.A. Jayakumar said that around 85 exhibitors and around 600 to 800 delegates from around the country will participate.
“By focussing on places around Mysuru, like Belur, Halebidu, Kodagu etc, we want to project Mysuru as a base camp so that tourists stay here for more than a day,” said Mr. Prashanth.
The stakeholders regretted that successive governments had neglected the tourism potential of Mysuru and this was evident in the lack of connectivity to tourist places. While the air link to Mysuru was high on their agenda to improve tourism, they also wanted better road connectivity.
“The facilities provided by the government does not commensurate with the heft taxes collected by it,” said Mr. Jayakumar. It was pointed out that the high toll levied on tourist vehicles entering Karnataka was a dissuading factor impeding the growth of the sector and repeated representations to the government to reduce it have fallen on deaf ears.
The mart has roped in important players, like Air Asia, Thomas Cook, Australian Tourism, Malaysian Tourism, Radisson Blu and other major hoteliers, tour promoters, foreign exchange dealers, trade associations, airlines etc.
“We want 365 day promotion of the region including Mysuru Dasara, a brand ambassador for Karnataka tourism, basic facilities like toilets for tourists etc,” the association said. “We have launched our own video on Mysuru and it has reached 22,000 travel agents across India besides being viewed more than 80,000 times on social media platforms,” said Mr. Prashanth. The three-day travel mart will be held at the Maharaja’s College Ground.
‘Memories of Mysuru’, a photography contest for public will be held during the mart
Mass yoga on February 14{+t}{+h}at Maharaja College ground at 6.30 a.m.
Torch light relay from Balarama Gate to the venue
Exhibition of Rolls Royce Ghost for the first time in Mysuru
