When it comes to tourism, Goa had, what is know in the corporate world, as,first mover advantage. Its neighbour Karnataka is now making bold moves to catch up. Tourism Minister R V Deshpande unveiled a Rs 54,000 crore five-year plan to make the state one of the top tourism destinations in the country. While the plan is ambitious, a key component is private sector participation through corporate social responsibility. The minister hopes to draw tourists from Goa, which could act as the gateway for Karnataka. The travel and tourism industry contributed $113 billion to the GDP of the country in 2013 and provided 22 million with jobs. India is listed as the top 20 growing destinations in the world. So one can understand Karnataka's emphasis on developing this sector. A tough task lies ahead for Deshpande, from finding the money, to convincing corporates to come on board. Belagavi is already a favourite destination for Goans who prefer to visit the place on weekends. However, Deshpande must come good on his promise to implement changes in name plates and direction boards to make them more readable to outsiders. Karnataka has much to offer and can easily borrow from Goa's experience on beach development. Like Goa it has beautiful beaches, but the real challenge is to turn them into brands, just like Goa did decades ago.
