Two tourism circuits known as Mysuru Circuit and another Hampi Circuit will be made functional in the next two months to boost tourism, and the Circuits will enable tourists to access information required online, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday and hoped that in the coming days, the State will occupy a prominent place at the global tourism map.

While the Mysuru Circuit will cover Belur, Halebeedu, Somanathapura, among other tourist attractions, the Hampi Circuit will include tourist centres such as Vijayapura, Badami, Hampi and surrounding places, the Chief Minister said attending a function as part of World Tourism Day at Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. “Temple tourism and Nature tourism will also be given significance,” he added.

Asking tourism officials to make efforts to tap tourism potential in the State, Bommai said annually, the State records about 30 lakh tourists and steps will be initiated to the numbers reach a crore in coming days and called upon the officials concerned of departments of revenue, food and civil supplies and public works to work in tandem to increase the number of visitors to the State.

“Tourism will also help in addressing employment issues and generate jobs locally,” he said. Bommmai said tourism will be developed in the State by joining hands with the private partnership and suitable steps will be taken in this regard.

The use of technology has brought changes in the field of tourism, and the tourism industry in the country is growing in leaps and bounds, he observed and said that to improve basic amenities, the onus is on both Government and private parties.

Listing out various monuments of erstwhile rulers and calling for their conservation, the Chief Minister, in particular, rued over the Badami caves on par with Ajanta Caves of Maharashtra lacked publicity. Badami Caves are much older and much more significant than Ajanta Caves.

In an advice to the tourist guides, Bommai asked not to mislead the tourists and discharge their duties with honesty and wished that “Tourists should hail Karnataka guides as number 1.”