M Raghuram By

MANGALURU: With both Home Minister K J George and Chief Minister Siddarmaiah denying any plan to monitor parties involving foreign tourists through video, beach tourism in Karnataka can go on as usual.

The district administrations of three coastal districts —Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada — have also clarified that no such guidelines have been issued.

Some newspapers had reported recently that the government had issued guidelines on February 26 to monitor parties involving foreigners, causing much unease among tourism promoters.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim told Express that he had not received any such order. He said, “Dakshina Kannada is emerging as one of the top beach tourism destinations in Karnataka as the first beach tourism development project has taken off successfully.” He said so far there has been no objectionable activity by foreign tourists on the beaches of Dakshina Kannada district. “All the stakeholders in Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project have been conducting tourism-related activities within the limits of decency,” he said.

Executive director of the Panambur project, Yathish Baikampady, also confirmed that there were no instructions to regulate beach tourism events involving foreign tourists. “We have adhered to all the rules of the Tourism Department right from 2009. We do not allow drinking on the beach or any kind of indecent act,” he said.

“If we have to organise any party, we should get prior permission from the Excise Department. We must also create a separate enclosure for such parties with adequate security. We are following these guidelines strictly,” he said.

Tourism operators in Udupi and Uttara Kannada agree that there have been incidents such as the rave party on St Mary’s Island in 2012.

However, they said if the government issues any guidelines restricting tourism activities by foreigners, it would send a wrong signal to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Minister’s office has firmly denied the reports. “No such orders have been issued and the reports that have appeared in a section of the media in this regard are baseless,” an official said.