From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jul 29: The State Government has formed a 10-member Bengaluru Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) under the Chairmanship of Tourism and IT/BT Minister PriyankKhargeto prepare an action plan for creating 'Brand Bengaluru' and to exploit tourism potential.

The BTAC shall have top officials in the Tourism Department and also experts from verticals such as heritage, urban, landscape, hospitality, architecture and conservationists who can contribute towards branding the City and making it a global city in the true sense.

The panel has been given a mandate to submit its report in three months.

Priyank Kharge said: "The Bengaluru Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) has been formed after a month of brainstorming sessions and deliberations.”

The scope of the committee is to provide quick action plans for developing Bengaluru region as a tourist destination by creating brand Bengaluru, identifying different circuits and trails, offering tourism technologies, drawing a calendar of events, promoting art and culture, attracting PPP projects and engaging in inter-city-cooperation concepts.

The committee will also help in positioning the State capital as a well-connected holiday destination by involving local talent pool and the effective development of local employment and subsequent revenue generation.

The committee will also be responsible in enhancing positive perceptions about the city through engagements with travellers across the world which, in turn, will help drive tourism, thus making Bengaluru a SMART global city.

The Principal Secretary, Secretary and Director, Department of Tourism, SubirHari Singh, IHCN, V. Ravichandar urban expert, Naresh V. Narasimhan, urban landscape and planning expert, Siddartha Raja, legal expert, Sunder Raju, hospitality expert, Narendra Pirgal, architect, Satyaprakash, Varanasi, Conservationist INTAC, are members of the panel, he said.

Bengaluru will be 480-year-old in 2017

Bengaluru, known by many names such as Pensioner’s Paradise, Lake City, Garden City, Education City, Sports City, Science City, Silicon Valley of India and Pub City will become 480 years old in 2017.

With a population of less than 48 per cent local Kannadigas residing in the city, it is truly a cosmopolitan city.

The Forbes magazine considers Bangalore as "one of the Next Decade’s Fastest-Growing Cities”.

Apart from the Gulf Region, Bangalore sends the highest number of professionals abroad, especially to USA.

As per the statistics provided by the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAL), the international airport alone received 18 million travellers during 2015.

However, Bengaluru has not been able to convert these travellers’ figures into tourists. It is estimated that with at least 25 per cent of KIAL travellers spending one day in the city, a minimum revenue of $ 450 million per year can be generated.

Bengaluru offers an array of trails such as heritage, ecology, wildlife, science, spiritual, gastronomy, culture and sports.

The city has the potential to captivate tourists with its historical monuments as well as its modern skyscrapers.

The moderate and comfortable weather throughout the year is an added advantage for the urban explorers, making it an all-season destination.

The inclusion of high-end malls to rural markets, from IT/BT to handicraft and accommodation choices from budget hotel to 5-star and 7-star hotels, multi-cuisine restaurants, breweries and pubs, nightlife and much more will help in wooing visitors to stay back and explore it.

The idea is to ensure that visitors spend a day or two in the city to experience its cosmopolitan culture.

12-point mandate of BTAC:

1.   Prepare an action plan for creating “Brand Bengaluru”.
2.   Prepare an action plan for developing Bengaluru Region as a global tourist destination.
3.   Device methodologies for enhancing the tourism sector’s contribution to the local economy and employment generation.
4.   Identify various tourism circuits/trails such as science, pilgrimage, heritage, wildlife, ecology, adventure, colonial trails etc.       within and around the city.
5.   Suggest ideas for creating souvenirs and merchandising products for Bengaluru.
6.   Explore the use of new technologies for promoting tourism.
7.   Draw annual calendar of events like art fair, open street festivals etc.
8.   Explore the possibility of enhancing tourism experience through the promotion of various activities like art, culture and               other   festivals.
9.   Promote MICE [Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions] tourism
10. Audit and recommend suitable and doable interventions in existing tourism related infrastructure facilities in the city
11. Suggest engagement and implementation methodologies for engaging PPP partners.
12. Suggest engagement with inter-city-cooperation plan for road shows, outreach programmes, technology exchange, cultural        exchange programmes etc.