Tourism in Karnataka is getting a new dimension. After having been classified as an Industry , the Karnataka government is giving a thrust to the eco-tourism potential in the state . A new set of entrepreneurs have taken to the rural areas hospitality sector with a zeal , not just to make money but demonstrate that the life outside of metropolis is as challenging as one wants to make it.
Not far from Bengaluru, nestled in midst of thousands of acres of the Hesaraghatta forest , Native Village resort is a classic example of sustainable tourism model which focuses on ensuring that the tourists get a back to nature experience .
The over 12 acre village resort offers a complete experience to the visitors to feel the village life. The ride on a bullock cart , milking a cow or getting a chance to mud up your hands on the potters’ wheel are just some of the experiences that one can take back home. More importantly is the opportunity to live in a self-sustaining eco system which offers a bigger insight to the possibilities that exist in making our contribution to mother nature. Promoted by CB Ramkumar , the resort stands apart as a classic example of sustainable tourism models that the hospitality industry needs to follow. “ We need nothing from the government , we generate our own electricity though rooftop solar panels and the wind turbine. We grow our own organic vegetables , have an onsite dairy and poultry . The waste products are recycled to generate Bio-Gas to run the kitchen.” Says Ramkumar. “ We at the Native Eco Resort demonstrate that we self- sustenance is not a difficult thing to do” he adds.
His 24 room resort has been built using eco-friendly clay bricks with minimum usage of cement and even the swimming pool on the campus is a natural pool where no chemicals like chlorine are used to keep the water clean for those who enjoy a swim. The activities on campus for the tourists include the traditional village games like Gilli Danda , Tyre racing , playing marbles, cycling etc .
A little far away from Mysore , a young entrepreneur Rashmee Sinha is busy giving finishing touches to the modernization/ expansion plan for the coming summer season for her initiative Sherlock’s Retreat . Located at Kutta , in south Coorg this homestay resort on the edge of Magarhole wild life sanctuary offers the tourists an exposure to the life in coffee land of Karnataka. In midst of coffee estates and forests nearby “Live with Nature” is the theme with which Rashmee runs the resort. Shuttling between Bengaluru and Coorg , Rashmee is coming to terms with the shift from a corporate lifestyle to being a part of the village society where her resort is located. Her thrust is to integrate the resort with the village so that the locals get employment directly and indirectly. “ We connect the tourists to the nature and ensure that the tourists get the village feel. Be it a trek into the Nagarhole forests , the joy of rafting in the pristine waters at the foot of the Iruppu falls or just explore the wildlife”says Rashmee Sinha ,CEO Sherlock’s Retreat. The resort provides the necessary luxury that tourists expect but at the same time , the resort manages to operate without causing any ecological drain to the beauty.
Karnataka government which has been at the forefront of promoting eco –tourism is supporting such business ventures in the remote areas of Karnataka primarily from the perspective of employment generation. Apart from its own high-end Jungle Lodges and Retreats these entrepreneur driven and managed eco resorts are transforming village lives. So while individuals like Ramkumar and Rashmee demonstrate by example of setting up viable business ventures in remote parts of Karnataka , the government encouragement comes along in a big way to boost the rural economy. With several such success stories in rural Karnataka , tourism finally is getting the requisite catalyst for employment and revenue generation.