The state government plans to offer 50 percent discount on the market price for potential investors to acquire the notified lands to build tourist facilities such as hotels, restaurants, recreation facilities and amusement parks.

A special project monitoring cell has been set up in the tourism department for speedy clearance of investment proposals.

To promote heritage tourism, the state will allow investors to develop star category hotels at world heritage sites like Hampi and Badami in north Karnataka.

“The idea is to induce foreign as well as domestic tourists to stay more days at these historical places and relive the grandeur of the past. We have identified about 230 acres of land at Hampi for developing world class infrastructure with private investment,” Vittalamurthy noted.

The tourism department has drawn a master plan to develop Hampi under Unesco guidelines and plans to replicate the model at other heritage sites in the state.