Since 2009, an aggressive Gujarat has seen a fivefold increase in its budget for tourism promotion. The state had allocated just Rs 10 crore for promotional activities before the 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' campaign kicked off in October 2010. The tourism department is hoping to spend around Rs 55 crore by March 2013. Last year, the state government had set aside just Rs 2.5 crore in the budget just for promotion.
The Gir sanctuary has benefited from the splurge, seeing a 30% jump in tourists in two years. The Rannotsav festival in Kutch and the pilgrim sites of Somnath and Dwarka too have become major draws as per a TOI report.
"We have been advertising widely not only on television and radio but also in on-flight magazines of prominent international airlines. In the last two years, there has been a flow of nearly 54 lakh tourists to Gujarat, which is an achievement," said principal secretary, tourism, Vipul Mitra.
(You need to login first to read complete news). New User? Register for FREE!
» Back to Travel News