Several stakeholders and heritage enthusiasts presented a list of demands and suggestions to Tourism Minister H.K. Patil during a meeting in Vijayapura on November 22.
Several participants focussed on the need to get UNESCO heritage tag for the Deccan sultanate circuit, including Vijayapura, Bidar and Kalaburagi. The issues that came up for discussion were the dilapidated condition of some monuments, need to improve infrastructure, like roads and hotels, and to provide amenities like drinking water, toilets, informed guides, and multi-media online information, the need for coordination between ASI and the State tourism development departments. Some demanded resumption of the Navaraspur Utsav.
New York-based historians Richard Vines and Nancy Frances also participated in the meeting. Mr Vines said that there was a need to create more attractive content online that could increase footfalls. He urged the government and stake-holders to make an effort to retain tourists for more than a day in Vijayapura.
