‘Why promote Kerala?’: Karnataka Tourism faces backlash after ‘Wayanad is waiting for you’ post goes viral

Critics, including BJP leader R Ashoka, accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of misusing taxpayer money.

Published on: Oct 30, 2025, 12:59:02 IST

By Anagha Deshpande

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A social media post by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) promoting Wayanad, a popular hill district in neighbouring Kerala, has sparked a political row and public outrage online.

Several users slammed KSTDC for promoting a tourist destination outside Karnataka. (X/KSTDC )

The official tourism handle had shared an image of Wayanad on Wednesday, captioned, “Seeking thrill or tranquillity? Find both in Wayanad! Trek scenic trails, chase waterfalls & meet the wild with KSTDC. Your perfect nature escape awaits.” The post also included the tagline, “Wayanad is waiting for you.”

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Soon after, several users slammed KSTDC for promoting a tourist destination outside Karnataka.

Online reactions

One user wrote, “Shameful, delete this post asap. Why can't you promote Karnataka places?”. Another commented, “When did Wayanad become part of Karnataka?”

While many criticised the move, others defended the post, saying tourism should transcend administrative boundaries. “Tourism doesn’t grow without people travelling. State borders shouldn’t divide us,” one user argued, adding that KSTDC has long offered package tours to destinations in Tamil Nadu, Goa, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

However, the controversy deepened when BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, lashed out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of acting like “Wayanad’s District Collector.”

In a post on X, Ashoka said, “You (Siddaramaiah) signed off ₹10 crore of Karnataka taxpayers’ money to Wayanad at lightning speed. You gave away ₹15 lakh to the family of a man killed by an elephant. You announced 100 houses in Wayanad after a landslide. Now you’re using KSTDC to promote Priyanka Gandhi’s constituency.”

The comment triggered a fresh round of political sparring, with Congress leaders yet to officially respond. Meanwhile, KSTDC’s post on Wayanad continues to remain live on its social media pages.

The tourism agency, known for organising package tours across southern India, has previously promoted destinations in Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana as part of its inter-state tourism initiatives. However, this particular post struck a political chord given Wayanad’s prominence as the parliamentary constituency of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

(With agency inputs)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anagha Deshpande
Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More

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