The Dakshina Kannada district administration has submitted a concept plan to the Karnataka Tourism Department to develop Sasihithlu beach in Mangaluru as a surfing destination.

This was revealed at the tri-monthly meeting of the Karnataka Development Programme, chaired by Ramanatha Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district.

KG Jagadeesha, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, informed the meeting that the concept plan was submitted to the Karnataka Tourism Department in March. Estimates have been submitted to the department for the development of infrastructure at Sasihithlu beach. Steps will be initiated for the development of the beach after getting the final approval from the department.

Surfing event
The Karnataka Tourism Department, in association with the Surfing Federation of India and Mantra Surf Club of Mangaluru, had conducted ‘Indian Open of Surfing’ at Sasihithlu Beach from May 27-29 this year.
Speaking at the inauguration of the event, Naveen Raj Singh, Secretary of the Karnataka Tourism Department, had stated that the government wants to promote Sasihithlu beach as an international surfing destination.

He had also said the government would make arrangements to host World Surfing League at Sasihithlu beach in May next year.

The Government would go all out to encourage ‘community tourism’, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said.

Speaking at a public event in Songsak on Tuesday, the chief minister said as many as 12 tourist sites have already been identified for community tourism.

Blessed with a rich biodiversity, undulating hills and pristine waterfalls dotting the landscape, the rural areas of Meghalaya could soon become a major tourist destination if its potential is well-harnessed, he observed.
“Out of these 12 sites, nine are in East Garo Hills,” said Sangma.
The Government has earmarked Rs 14 crore for the promotion of community tourism.

Exuding confidence about the improved law and order situation in the State, the chief minister said more police stations and outposts would continue to be set up to provide security to the people of the State.
The chief minister said as many as 2,751 posts in the state police force are soon going to be filled up by those candidates who have cleared the necessary tests and completed the required training.

Meanwhile, the natural abundance and serene beauty of the North East, particularly Meghalaya that has not ceased to be the ‘Scotland of East’, is still unexplored, said Dr. Sunildro LS Akoijam of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on Wednesday.

Addressing a gathering at the 13th International Conference on Business Management and Legal Studies in Bali, Indonesia, the assistant professor in the Department of Management said there are many on lesser known places of in the North East, like Manipur, besides Meghalaya.

He also termed Manipur as the ‘Switzerland of India’.

He said tourism has been the fastest growing industry in India and has been able to provide sustainable income to lakhs of people, particularly in rural areas where people have been empowered and educated to promote conservation of natural resources and its rich heritage.

Elaborating on the success of the national campaign, ‘Incredible India’, which started in 2002, Akoijam said, “Every country has its own unique selling proposition and an attempt should be made by tourism policy makers and other stakeholders to tap the opportunities and market their countries in different parts of the world to attract global tourist.”

He pitched for cross promotion of tourism destination, cultural exchange and awareness on historic destinations.

There were delegates from 26 countries, including Canada, Australia, the US, Finland, Poland, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Japan and Korea.

An Indian city is making the country proud at the global level. It has been named among 2017’s top urban destinations. The Indian city got featured in the ‘The World’s Top 15 Cities’ list in a survey done by famous magazine Travel and Leisure. The name of the city will certainly take you by surprise. It’s neither Mumbai nor Delhi or any big city; it’s Udaipur in Rajasthan. According to magazine Travel and Leisure, Every year for the World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe - to share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated cities on their sights and landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness, shopping, and overall value.” And this is the final result that they provided.

Scenic Udaipur is known for its beautiful lakes, palaces, temples, museum and other historical sites.

Here is the list of all the 15 cities:-
15. Barcelona, Spain
14. Udaipur, India
13. Siem Reap, Cambodia
12. Rome, Italy
11. Santa Fe, New Mexico
10. Luang Prabang, Laos
9. Ubud, Indonesia
8. Cape Town, South Africa
7. Hoi An, Vietnam
6. Oaxaca, Mexico
5. Florence, Italy
4. Kyoto, Japan
3. Chiang Mai, Thailand
2. Charleston, South Carolina
1. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

According to T+L, “The World’s Best Cities list also speaks to our readers’ growing interest in Asia.”

Travel and Leisure magazine is known for its World’s Best Awards survey. People follow Travel + Leisure for travel inspiration and information on the best destinations and properties to visit around the world.

In a move that will not click with selfie enthusiasts, the Archaeological Survey of India, under a new policy, has banned the use of selfie sticks at its 46 site museums across the country.

"Selfie sticks are strictly not permitted in the museum premises," states the Photography/ Filming Policy for the Archaeological Site Museums of the Archaeological Survey of India.

So, visitors to archaeological site museums like Taj Museum in Agra, the Indian War Memorial Museum in Delhi, Archaeological Museums in Konark, Hampi and others across the country, have to tuck away their sticks in their bags if they want a glimpse of the artifacts on display.

Site museums are museums where the ASI keeps the small and movable antiquities, recovered from the ancient sites, in close association with the remains to which they belong. Such museums often close to the excavation site displays objects retrieved during site excavations, found during explorations, during scientific clearances and during conservation of monuments.

These objects generate a lot of academic and commercial interest because of their historical or archaeological significance to the site.

Sources in ASI say that the decision to exclude selfie sticks was taken to ensure security of the artifacts as there have been instances of the sticks getting too close to them.

"Times are changing and at every site there are people with mobile phones and taking pictures freely. There are people even shooting inside the monuments, so a decision was taken by the ASI to put in place some restrictions," said ASI Director Dr K Lourdusamy.

However, it is not just the selfie stick that has raised concerns among officials but also heavy equipment and accessories used for photography.

The policy has also said that while photography is open to public in all the museums free of cost, but the catch is that they cannot use tripods, monopods or flash-lights. In fact, visitors can only use existing museum lighting for their pictures.

Visitors wanting to use multiple lenses, tripod monopods or carry large photography bags have to get prior permission provided they use them for academic purposes. This permission has to be with 15 days before the scheduled arrival of the person at the site.

R K Mishra, Additional Director General of National Museum, Delhi, an autonomous body under the ministry of culture said that the museum was yet to face any problems due to the selfie sticks, but conceded that "we might have to think about it (selfie sticks) and bring in a policy if required, but so far, there is no need".

Former culture secretary Jawhar Sircar seemed to be completely opposed to the idea.

"I am of the opinion that technology cannot be stopped.  ASI officials should understand that only opening a shop doesn't help, they should learn to smile at customers too. ASI is a custodian of Indian culture, not its owners and they should have an open spirit," Mr Sircar told PTI.