Bengaluru: The number of foreign tourists visiting Karnataka is beginning to plateau, having failed to recover since the pandemic-induced dip in numbers. This year, up until October, the state saw only 3.5 lakh foreign tourists. With just two months left in the current year, the figure is far below the 2019 figure of approximately six lakh.

Industry insiders blamed safety concerns and poor marketing strategies for the trend. In October, the state saw only 19,472 foreign tourists — a sharp drop from the 50,366 footfalls in October 2024.

September saw 22,234 foreign tourists, while the corresponding figure in 2024 was 27,609.

As Karnataka gets a good chunk of its foreign tourists in the latter half of the year, mostly between October and December, officials in the tourism department belie

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