Rajasthan government to form tourism board to put industry on faster mode

JAIPUR: In a strategic shift in planning and development, the state govt is working on setting up a tourism board to give the industry a larger role to play.
Gayatri Rathore, principal secretary of the tourism department, said discussions have already started for the formation of the board.
She said the tourism sector witnessed turbocharged growth after the pandemic, with tourism's contribution to the state's GDP surging from 11% in 2021 to 14% in 2023.
"The potential is huge, and we want to capture it by taking pioneering policy steps that include creating a board and a high-powered committee," she said.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event for the signing of an MoU between Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR) and the tourism department for organising the domestic tourism mart, Rathore said the board and the committee would "catalyse investments, enhance infrastructure and improve inter-departmental decision making,"
Under Rathore's watch, Rajasthan became the first state to give tourism units the benefits of industry status. Over 1,200 tourism units are availing themselves of the benefits that come in the form of reduced electricity rates, UD tax and other fees, she said.
Tourist footfall in Rajasthan has witnessed stellar growth in the past couple of years, rising from 10 crore in 2022 to 18 crore in 2023. However, to sustain the high growth, the industry wants new policy measures.
Apurv Kumar, ex-president of FHTR, said, "I suggest that we, including the tourism department and FHTR, employ a creditable agency for a blind audit of tourist experiences to help us continuously improve the process to deliver the desired results."
Sharing details of the mart scheduled to take place in Sept, FHTR president Kuldeep Singh Chandela said the platform is being opened for the first time to overseas tour operators for improving the inflow of foreign tourists to the state.
"We have formed a cell headed by Ranvijay Singh and Tarun Bansal to hold roadshows in the overseas markets for the event. Along with domestic tourists, the show will also help increase the inflow of foreign tourists to the state," said Chandela.
FHTR senior vice president Surendra Singh Shahpura said 900 buyers (tour operators and travel agents) will attend the event.