The festival of Navratri is huge in Gujarat.
To capitalize on the mood of the festival the TourismCorporation of Gujarat has planned to host a mega Navratri festival in theState for nine days from October 16.
The corporation plans to organize music and dance in almostevery corner in the state. Participants will dance to the beats of dandia andgarbas will be held at 23,000 different places in the state.
The corporation officials are expecting almost a lakh oftourists per day to participate in the event.
The government will share the expenses to organize the grandfestival along with the industries in the state, corporation officials said.
They expect the festival to generate income to small timeentrepreneurs in the State.
“Small-timebusinessmen, rural artisans and artists from mini and macro scale cottageindustries will benefit financially through this event. We do not want to makemoney from this celebration. Our aim is to let small-time entrepreneurs benefitin the State,” said Kamlesh Patel, Chairman, Tourism Corporation of GujaratLimited (TCGL).
The state of Gujarat has signed an MOU with the Goagovernment a-year-and-a-half ago for exchange of ideas to generate revenue fromthe tourism sector.
“Both state governments will study the policies in eachother’s states and concentrate on revenue generation,” Patel said. Gujaratplans to boost its industrial, agriculture and service sector by adoptingaggressive tourism policy, he added
The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat has been following anaggressive policy since 2002 to promote tourism in the State.
“We have adopted the theme of Heritage Tourism and arecashing in on our colourful culture, customs, traditions and festivities to wootourists,” Patel said.
The state has plans to also give fillip to rural economy andthus adopted a special policy to promote small scale and cottage industries byattracting domestic and international tourists to participate in this sector,Patel said.
Boasting that the State is currently earning Rs 1000 crorethrough tourism, Patel disclosed that till March 2012 Gujarat had entertained 2crore 23 lakh domestic and international tourists.
The state makes consistent effort to woo internationaltourists apart from NRIs and NRGs by offering attractive tour packages.
Gujarat has a coastline of 1,600 kilometres long. The statehas chalked out a five-year plan to develop its beaches for tourism with thefinancial help from the Centre.
“The phase-wise development would cost Rs 1,200 crore forwhich the state government would bear Rs 170 crore to develop10 beaches out ofthe planned 16,” Patel disclosed.
“We also plan to concentrate on medical tourism as Gujaratoffers the best medical facilities in the country with kidney transplantationsand knee replacements at a comparatively cheaper rate,” he said.
Tourism has brought prosperity to the State both in revenuegeneration and employment.
“In 2003 the small scale industries sector that made kites,thread and other accessories earned Rs 30-40 crore during the kite festival.”
“But after we promoted kite festival as an internationalevent, the revenue went up to a whopping Rs 450 crore attracting 200participants from India and 120 others from 40 different countries,” Patelsaid.
According to Patel the State expects 150 internationalparticipants to take part in 2013 kite festival.
“Our kite exports have already crossed the bench mark of Rs300 crore in January 2012,” he added.
The temples in Gujarat are attractions for soulfulspiritualism and religious tours form a major part of the tourism package.
