Tourism gets new flavour
The Tourism Policy 2003-07 is nothing but old wine packaged in new bottle to be served to prospective global and domestic investors in a bid to tap investment during Vibrant Gujarat-the global investors summit with the fizz intact, literally, through easy facilitation of liquor permits to foreign tourists.

Minister of state for tourism Anil Patel announced the Tourism Policy 2003-07 at the Gujarat Mineral Development Coporation building on Monday.

Cruise rides between Porbandar and Mandvi, renewal of circuit tours for tourists in all areas of the state, attracting private investment in developing infrastructure, development of beach tourism, facilitation of infrastructure development for major tourism projects over Rs 50 crores have a familiar ring of the past policy.

However, officials, here insisted that the USP of the new policy will be event tourism, adventure tourism, branding of tourism spots to hardsell them to world tourists, setting up special Entertainment Zones and Dinosaur Park in the state.

Tourism department officials, however, said here that the state tourism has the potential of attracting an investment of Rs 5,000 crores over a period of seven years.

Minister of state for tourism Anil Patel said global branding and promotion of key festivals like Navratri, kite festival, Dwarka festival, Somnath festival, Tarnetar fair, Kutch festival and other festivals will be major thrust areas under the Tourism Policy.

"The question is one of emphasis. Previously the focus was on entertainment tourism, multiplexes with direct government intervention while the present policy is mainly to provide infrastructure while reaffirming the role of the government as the facilitator of tourism in the state," principal secretary, tourism, D. Rajgopalan said.

Managing director of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited D.K. Rao said the state government also plans to initially privatise about 10 units of the Corporation including Tithal, Kuda, Chorwad, Valtha, Malwan, Nal Sarovar, Dholavira, Shyamlaji, Limdi and Balaram.

Mr Patel said the state government intends to privatise facilities such as hotels, restaurants and other services that private parties can run more efficiently while maintaining its role as the facilitator of tourism in the state.

"It has been decided to utilise the services of the Gujarat Industrial Promotion Board for the purpose of effective and time bound implementation of the policy with the tourism commissioner being the nodal officer for implementation of all policy proposals. All projects over Rs 50 crores will be directly approved by the GIPB," Mr Patel said.

He said while retaining its edge over religious tourism, the state has plans to promote itself as the only state that boasts of dinosaur fossils and having sites of Indus valley civilisation like Dholavira and Lothal.

Beaches like Ahmedpur, Mandvi, Chorwad, Kutch, Nana Laija, Madhavpur, Shivrajpur, Tithal, Duma, Dhuras and Mangrol will also be developed to encourage tourists to promote beaches as tourist destinations.

Mr Patel said eco-tourism, health tourism and marketing the only abode of lions in Asia-Gir Sanctuary, in the country, are also thrust areas in the policy. Giving details of the investment in tourism projects in the state Mr Rao said Rs 21 crores were invested in 2002-03 and an equal amount is expected to be put in during the year.

The state also plans to create lank banks to earmark certain land on beaches, tourist places, wayside locations and state and national highways for tourism projects in urban and rural areas. Moreover, plans are also on to equate tourism related activities to that of the industry.

Republished from The Asian Age