Mangaluru joins KSTDCs city tour facilityfrom today, April 17

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 17, 2016: Starting today, Sunday April 17, Mangaluru is expected to be another city to be one of a select list of cities and towns in the state to have its own city tour. At present, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) offers city tours in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hospet and Madikeri.

Minister for tourism, and heavy and medium industries R V Deshpande will flag off the KSTDC city tour bus from in front of the main entrance of Dr Shivarama Karantha Pilikula Nisargadhama at Moodushedde today.


For a fee of Rs 250 per person, city tour will start at the tourism department office at MCC complex, Lalbagh at 8am and end 11-hours later covering places or religious and tourism importance such as Sri Gokarnanateshwara Temple at Kudroli, St Aloysius College chapel, Pilikula Nisargadhama, Tree Park at Tannirbhavi, and Panambur beach before returning to Lalbagh. The tourists will get a luncheon break at Pilikula Nisargadhama, noted MLC Ivan D’Souza.

While KSTDC will start off the city tour with one bus initially, MLC Ivan told reporters here that Deshpande has assured that the corporation will introduce five additional buses on various tourism circuits over the next three months. Tourists can book on these city tour rides on KSTDC website or at the tourism department office or any authorized KSTDC agents, the MLC said adding he will also request Deshpande to open one city tour booking counter at Pilikula as well.

An important step in giving a boost to local tourism potential :   Noting that promoting tourism in Dakshina Kannada is need of the hour, MLC Ivan said the introduction of the city tour services is the result of continuous legislative follow up on his part. Deshpande incidentally in reply to a question raised by MLC  Ivan in the Council on November 20, 2015 had assured that tourism department will positively consider starting a city tour in this coastal city. "Flagging off the services on  Apr 17, Sunday is fulfilment of that assurance given in the council," he said.

The minister later in the afternoon will also lay the foundation stone for a Yatri Nivas near Infant Jesus Church, Bikkarnakatte. Responding to a demand made by MLC Ivan in this regard, Deshpande had released Rs 50 lakh for the project in 2015-16. Likewise, there is also the need to set up a Yatri Nivas at Sri Suryanarayana Temple at Maroli, MLC Ivan said, adding he will impress on Deshpande to consider the same positively and also include the temple in local tourism circuit plan.