Mangaluru : Minister for Tourism, Environment and Ecology C.P. Yogeshwar said here on Saturday that Mangaluru is among six places identified for setting up heliports in the State for promoting tourism and improving connectivity under UDAN scheme.

At an interactive session on ‘promoting tourism in the coastal belt’ organised by Dakshina Kannada Union of Working Journalists (DKUWJ), the Minister said that a heliport is like a base camp from where tourists/people can hire helicopters to identified places where helipads have been built. It is just like operating a bus from a depot to different identified places. Not only tourists can hire the helicopters but others in need of any other emergency can hire the copters from the heliports.

The other places identified in the State are Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Hampi,and Kalaburagi. “These are the six circuits identified. The helicopters will operate in a 100 to 200 km radius offering their services to tourists and others,” he said.

The Minister said that the government also intends to promote seaplane service in the coastal belt for boosting tourism.