Tourism of various kinds have been emerging in the recent years, such as arts & culture, monuments, pilgrim centres, agriculture, industry, war memorials and so on. With science parks, institutions, sites associated with science legends, etc. science tourism is being discussed, with even degree programmes overseas. Considering the fact that Karnataka is in the forefront of Science & Technology including industries from the 1950s and Bengaluru is a ‘Science City’, the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy proposes Science Tourism as a new vocation with a win-win situation for both the different stakeholders running institutions and enterprises and the tourists, in times to come, also as models for the Departments of Science & Technology, Agriculture, Industry and Tourism.
Objectives
- To explore science tourism as a new dimension of Infotainment
- To document S&T sites, both heritage and current, in the State
- To design science tourism capsules in different parts of the State
- To formulate short and long term capacity building programmes in science tourism
- To develop entrepreneurship in science tourism, with incubators and start ups
- To publish relevant literature for both students and enterprises
Process
- Establishing a network of Departments and Agencies dealing with Tourism and S&T components in different segments such as Science & Technology, Higher Education, Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Dairying, Fisheries, Forestry, Industry; Universities and Corporate R&D organisations
- Consultations with Experts from both Tourism and different domains, with regard to concepts and actions; Stakeholder discussions with regard to available resources in different sectors for the purpose of tourism
- Networking with District Science Centres, DST, Government of Karnataka, with regard to customised tourism in Districts for students as well as general public (taking forest trekking as an example)
- Designing exposure and training programmes in science tourism for rural youth as well as University students
- Setting up incubators in farms/institutions with stakeholder participation for mentoring the candidates, with inputs from professionals
- Recognition of Science tourist centres and entrepreneurs
Administrative / Financial
- Announcement inviting concepts from District Science Centres and other relevant Departments as mentioned above and potential entrepreneurs shall be placed on the KSTA website, with a brief application form
- Oganising a brainstorming session of experts and stakeholders for formulating a strategy paper on Science Tourism
- The Resource Mobilisation Committee of the Academy will formulate the framework for the aspects proposed, for capacity building, pilot runs in the field and related aspects
- The need-based, limited financial support from KSTA shall be on laid out terms such as use of funds for specific purpose such as the brainstorming session, training programmes involving Resource experts, and collaboration with different institutions with MoUs as per extant provisions
- Organisation of workshops and meetings will be as per the provisions of the KSTA
