Karnataka has issued rules about tourism, requiring authorisation for remote areas

The Karnataka government issued fresh guidelines to homestays, resorts, and hotels for the safety of tourists. As per this, permission from the police or the forest department is needed to take visitors to secluded areas or forests.

On March 6, the gang rape of two women, one of them an Israeli, and the murder of a tourist came to light in Koppal district. The incident was taken cognizance of by the government and an order was passed on Tuesday. It stated that the new guidelines have to be followed strictly to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.

The order states that 'homestays' located at tourist places across the state will have to implement appropriate safety measures for all tourists including foreign visitors. Prior information should be given before taking tourists to remote or uninhabited areas and permission should be taken from the concerned police station.

The order states that if tourists are taken to remote places, outskirts, or forest areas without prior permission of the police or forest department, then the 'homestay' owners will be held responsible for any incident caused by miscreants or wild animals and will have to face legal consequences.

The government directed the district authorities to ensure that homestays, hotels, and resorts follow the guidelines. Additionally, they were asked to give a list of site visit programs to the district authorities to assess potential risks... so that security can be strengthened.

Three people have been arrested in the murder case. The 'homestay' owner had taken the tourists to the banks of the Tungabhadra canal to see the stars, when three men on a motorcycle attacked her.