Dakshin Bharat Utsav Govts should collaborate to develop tourism: FKCCI

Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, President of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), along with Shiva Shanmugam, former president and advisor of Tourism Committee emphasised that all the governments of South India should collaborate in developing the tourism sector without competition in order to showcase the richness and diverse opportunities offered in the sector, during the Dakshin Bharat Utsav, Hyderabad roadshow at Royalton Hotel on Monday.
Dr Ram Prasanth Manohar was the guest of honour at the roadshow.
The FKCCI, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism will be organising Dakshin Bharat Utsav -2024 on June 15 and 16 at the Princess Shrine, Palace Grounds, Bengaluru. The event aims to showcase the tourism potential of Southern Indian states while emphasising investment opportunities and employment generation.
Shailaja Ramaiyer, Principal Secretary of Tourism, Government of Telangana will be the chief guest at the Dakshin Bharat Utsav.
Ramesh Chandra Lahoti said, “The Dakshin Bharat Utsav will be a platform for MSMEs and SMEs in the tourism sector to create job opportunities for MSMEs and small investors. We have created this platform by connecting all six states and one Union Territory- Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry  and Lakshadweep.”
Shiva Shanmugam said, “Due to lack of awareness in tourism, especially in South India, it has not been in the forefront unlike tourism in North India. The governments of South India should prioritise and focus more on the tourism sector as it provides diverse varieties of jobs to people. With the development in tourism sector, especially in tier two and tier three cities, the local economy will also be developed.”
Anji Reddy, Dept of Telangana Tourism said, “Golconda Fort in Telangana stands second in the list of biggest forts in India. Also, Telangana has a lot of tourist destinations which people should visit. Nagarjuna Sagar is one such example followed by waterfalls – Kuntala waterfalls and Mallela Theertam in Telangana. There are four to five Buddhist sites in Telangana which promote Buddhism. Buddha Vanam is one of the popular tourist sites here. We want all governments of South India to collaborate and develop the tourism sector rather than competing against each other.”
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