Bengaluru, 19 September

The Karavali Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026 introduces a series of fiscal and administrative measures aimed at positioning the coastal and Malnad regions as one of the country’s leading tourism investment zones, Energy and Tourism Minister KJ George said on Saturday.

The policy was approved by the Cabinet chaired on Friday.

Karnataka's coastline, called Karavali in Kannada, stretches about 320km along the Arabian Sea from Mangaluru in the south to Karwar in the north. It also hosts various famous religious sites, including the temple town of Udupi, Murudeshwar and Gokarna.

It proposes Industry Status and Infrastructure Status for tourism, while also seeking to reduce administrative barriers and create a more enabling environment for private investment.

A dedicated 'Tourism Investment Facilitation Cell' and 'Single Window System' will be operationalised to support investors from project conception through approvals and implementation, the Tourism Department stated.

The policy will simplify land-related hurdles and provide property tax exemptions in designated Tourism Investment Promotion Areas.

It also eases FAR/FSI norms, Transferable Development Rights, private-sector participation in public infrastructure and Viability Gap Funding, it said.

An outlay of Rs 500 crore has been approved under the 'Karavali Malnad Karnataka Tourism Policy 2026,' it said.