Coastal Karnataka accounts for 10.6% - 15.5% of State’s total tourist footfall

Coastal Karnataka accounts for 10.6% - 15.5% of State’s total tourist footfall

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, June 11, 2025: Coastal Karnataka accounts for 10.6% - 15.5% of the State’s total tourist footfall, according to the Department of Tourism data.

Tourist footfall to coastal Karnataka went up from 11.49% of the State’s total footfall in 2018 to 15.46% in 2023. The footfall to the coastal belt stood at 12.11 % in 2019, 12.93% in 2021 and 10.64% in 2022, as per the data.

The data was shared during a meeting presided over by Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The meeting was called to discuss promoting tourism in coastal Karnataka.

In 2023, as per the data, Dakshina Kannada attracted 3.28 crore tourists, Udupi district had 4.74 crore tourists and the number of tourists who visited Uttara Kannada stood at 74.48 lakh.

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister said that if tourism thrived in the coastal belt, it would create more employment opportunities.

The Minister instructed the Director of the department to chalk out plans for promoting tourism by facilitating private participation.

The department officials told the Minister about the proposal to develop 12 beaches in Dakshina Kannada to attract tourists. The beaches identified are Uchila Batpady, Someshwara, Ullal, Bengre, Tannirbavi (two stretches with one stretch as Blue Flag beach), Panambur, Chitrapura, Hosabettu, Idya, Surathkal and Sasihitlu.