Udupi: The four-day Paryatan Parv and World Tourism Day celebrations were inaugurated on Malpe beach here on Thursday.

The objective of the parv is to attract people to the tourism spots in the district. Among the attractions at the event are the food festival and the wine fest.

Wineries from the State and Maharashtra are participating in the fest and displaying their products.

Earlier in the day, the three-day first Para Beach Volleyball Senior Standing National Championship began on the beach.

Presiding over the inauguration of the parv, K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, said that after the relaxation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, a statue of the propounder of the Dvaita philosophy, Sri Madhwacharya, should be installed on the Malpe beach and a statue of Parushurama should be installed on the St. Mary’s beach.

The nearby Padukere beach will also be developed and this would be an added attraction to the tourists who came to visit Malpe beach. He added that home-stay facilities should be encouraged near the beaches at Padukere, Kola and Bengre. It was essential that the plans to develop tourism should generate jobs for the local youth.

The district was known for its spots of scenic beauty, which should be publicised, he said.