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MANGALORE: A 10,559 likes, 338 talking about it on Facebook and 27,161 people having been there may not sound an impressive unique selling proposition (USP). But when these stats are for Panambur beach, some 10-kms from here, it starts making ’tourism’ sense. Leveraging potential of World Wide Web, Panambur Beach Tourism Development Project that manages the beach is promoting the beach and activities on it, in the virtual world as well.

Incidentally, an aficionado of the beach had started a FB community page - Panambur Beach. The Panambur Beach Tourism Project on May 17 announced that its official page ’Panambur Beach, Mangalore’ and community page ’Panambur Beach’ have been merged. This official page since then has gone on to clock 10K plus hits giving one an idea about how netizens have reacted to the idea of a FB page to promote tourism related ventures online.

Replete with links to mews articles related to the beach, the page is one stop solution for all activities that take place on the beach, explains Yathish Baikampady, CEO of the project. "The community page was clashing with our official page and post-merger, the official page has become ideal springboard for all those who wish to connect to us online," he says. All activities related to the beach are communicated using this official page, he explains.

For Taylor Houston from USA planning to come to India, the potential of Panambur beach for sun bathing and surfing evokes curiosity. The page administrator assuages her curiosity thus, "Hi Taylor, We take a lot of effort in keeping Panambur Beach safe. Please inform the life guards present, that you are interested to surf. They are trained to judge conditions of the surf. If they give you a go ahead you can definitely do so. Have a pleasant visit."

The page is not all self-promotional. Links to beach related activities worldwide, including a You Tube post of dogs surfing at San Diego, California gives one the laughs. The page also gives one a peep in to activities that take place in and around Panambur. "The whole idea is to promote Mangalore as a tourism place in general and Panambur beach in particular," he says. The official page incidentally was started on December 8, 2010.