BENGALURU: Karnataka which Karnataka is looking for a tourism ambassador who can increase the state’s appeal globally and increase footfalls. While names of Kannada actor Yash, cricketer Rahul Dravid, and Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy have been proposed, nobody has been finalised yet.
Many other states in India, such as Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Rajasthan, have famous film or sports personalities as brand ambassadors.  

“Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will be releasing a special promotional video on Saturday which will be telecast on different channels and other public platforms. This video, however, does not have any well-known face which would have added more popular value to the promotion,’’ a source from the tourism department said.

Karnataka stands at the third place, after Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, in terms of getting domestic tourists while it is at the 11th spot in foreign tourist arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism’s report.  
Tourism Minister Sa Ra Mahesh told TNIE that they had recently brought aboard Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadeyar from Mysuru as the ambassador for Old Mysuru region. “We do not want to take any actors. Choosing one actor may disappoint fans of other actors. We are checking if a person like Rahul Dravid or Sudha Murthy can be signed up. A panel will give names to the chief minister for approval.”

3-day travel and tourism fair begins in city

The Bengaluru edition of the Travel and Tourism Fair started on Friday at Palace Grounds (Tripura Vasini entrance). The event includes over 165 stalls, including those from 20 Indian states and 15 countries such as Bhutan, Greece, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand and United Kingdom. The three-day event will provide information to visitors for all queries related to a trip and customised holiday plans for this summer for individuals as well as companies looking for corporate tours.