K.J. George. File image.
Bengaluru: Karnataka plans to give startups an opportunity to test solutions to tourism challenges at actual destinations under a proposed Tourism Startup Promotion Policy, Energy and Tourism Minister K.J. George said.
The Tourism Department will formulate the policy to connect its requirements with the State’s startup ecosystem. The approach under consideration would move from identifying specific problems to inviting solutions, running pilots and evaluating whether successful products could be adopted more widely.
From tourism problems to practical pilots
George said the policy would seek to harness new technologies, products and services developed by startups, young entrepreneurs and innovators. Possible areas include visitor experience, digital services, destination management, sustainable tourism, cleanliness, mobility, safety, accessibility, tourist information and locally rooted experiences.
“The idea is to place the Tourism Department’s real challenges and requirements before startups and enable them to develop new products, services and solutions,” he said. Promising ideas should be tested in real tourism environments, with solutions demonstrating results considered for wider adoption, he added.
The Minister said tourism development had to go beyond creating destinations and physical infrastructure. Innovation could make a tourist’s journey easier, safer and more memorable, while Karnataka Tourism itself could become a platform for developing, testing and demonstrating such solutions.
Evaluation before wider adoption
Tourism Secretary Dr. Ram Prasath Manohar said the proposed policy could provide a structured pathway from identifying a challenge to piloting and scaling a startup solution.
Under the approach being considered, selected products or solutions could be piloted at identified tourism destinations and assessed for effectiveness. Successful models could then be expanded across the tourism ecosystem, he said.
Dr. Manohar said this could give startups a real-world testing environment and potential market opportunities, while helping the department adopt technology and innovation more rapidly.
The policy remains a proposal to be formulated. The announcement did not specify a funding allocation, application window or deadline for startups.
About the Author
