Bengaluru: In a bid to boost tourism, the Uttara Kannada district administration has decided hold the Karavali Utsav on a large-scale.

Shivanand Karale, assistant commissioner, Karwar, told DH that the festival is being organised to wean tourists from Bengaluru and other parts of the state away from popular destinations like Goa, Puducherry and Kerala.  

In the last eight years, this is the second Karavali Utsav. The festival was given a go-by for five years by the previous government while it didn’t happen due to drought last year. 
The aim of the festival is to attract people to the district besides promoting tourism along Karnataka’s 300-km coastline. “Unlike in other states where couples and youth are attracted, we want more families to come. Responsible tourism is our emphasis,” Karale said.

The three-day festival will start on December 10, 2016. A series of events including adventure sports like scuba diving, banana boat race and kayaking will be organised.

Cultural events will be organised on the seashore. Local artistes will be given primacy over others, the officer said. Bollywood stars are also being invited to add to the zing. Local and continental cuisine will also be a part of the carnival. 

For the first time, the department of tourism, Kannada and Culture department and Uttara Kannada district administration will organise a beach marathon on December 11, 2016.

There will be a half marathon for the disabled, three-kilometre family marathon and competitive 5K and 10K marathons. The organisers are also busy ensuring that there is ample space for tourists to stay in government and private hotels and guest houses. 

They are even tapping the forest guest houses in Anshi Tiger Reserve which is around 100 km away from Karwar, so that tourists can enjoy the beach and wilderness in one package. 

Karale added that from December, adventure sports will become a regular affair in Karwar for tourists. The area has a lot of scope for scuba diving and the district administration is in talks with private companies and experts on safety and testing.