Udupi district in-charge Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, on Monday, said that the tourism potential of the State’s 116 islands has yet to be fully tapped. She was addressing a gathering after hoisting the national flag during the 77th Republic Day celebration at St. Mary’s Island for the first time.

The minister said that the government has taken an initiative to promote coastal tourism, which includes promoting island tourism and that it held a coastal tourism conclave in Mangaluru in this regard recently.

Ms. Hebbalkar, Minister for Women and Child Development, Disabled and Senior Citizens’ Empowerment, said that the potential of the 116 islands has been ignored, and that we have failed to use them for promoting tourism. When coastal tourism gets a boost, it would open up new avenues of growth, she said.

Later, speaking at the district level Republic Day celebration in Udupi, Ms. Hebbalkar said that the Karnataka Tourism Policy – 2024-29 has identified Kaup Beach, Padubidri End Point, Kaup Light House, Kaup Blue Flag Beach, Kaup Marigudi Temple, Uchila Mahalakshmi Temple, Kunjarugiri Durgadevi Temple, and Mattu Rock Island to promote as tourism destinations.

Udupi district has a 98 km long shoreline which can be used to promote tourism related activities.

She also added that so far the government has provided about 10,000 houses to homeless fishermen under the Matsya Ashraya Scheme, and that four ‘Arogya Sethu’ mobile health units (MHUs), aimed at delivering primary healthcare services to people living in inaccessible, forest, and hilly regions, have been launched in the district and will help about 9,218 Koraga tribal people.