Rajasthan to come out with new Tourism Policy

Rajasthan Tourism is going to soon come out with a new tourism policy. The state also incorporates a dedicated Rs 100cr Tourism Development Fund this year.

Given the Covid-19 situation and the challenges posed before the industry, the new policy and this special fund are going to be focused on rejuvenating and resuscitating the tourism sector in Rajasthan.

Talking about the main focus area of the tourism policy, Sreya Guha, says, “The thrust will be on experiential tourism, which is able to be targeted at the domestic market. The tourism policy will also target promotion and confidence-building within the industry in the face of the Covid-19 challenge.”

While the tourism policy is predicted to come out by this year, Guha says the govt is presently focused on addressing the health crisis situation.

Experiential tourism is the new mantra for many of the states in India, and to make sure that the state has a top brand recall on the minds of travellers once the restrictions are eased, Rajasthan is additionally focussing very strongly on this aspect of tourism.

“We are working with UNESCO to develop destinations based on the promotion of indigenous dance, music and craft traditions. this is often our way of promoting responsible and sustainable tourism because we are working with the local people, preserving local traditions, generating livelihoods and offering a really authentic experience to tourists who want to see our villages and experience the local lifestyle. I believe tons of travellers are now trying to find such experiences,” says Guha.

The tourism board has launched virtual tours to keep tourists engaged during the lockdown and is additionally working on developing trails which are aiming to be circuits around a compact geographical region like a Braj Trail in Bharatpur, a Shekhawati trail around the Havelis in Sikar-Jhunjhunu and a tribal circuit in south Rajasthan.

“This will help travellers rediscover our well-known destinations. We are also working towards improving last-mile connectivity in these areas,” says Guha.