Gujarat keen to emerge as medical tourist destination

Gujarat Tourism Department will also organise kite festivals in Delhi and Mumbai on January 7 to promote the state

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Gujarat government is planning to develop the state as a potential medical tourism hub.

Principal Secretary (Tourism) Vipul Mitra said the state has got some of the best medical facilities and a lot of medical infrastructure is coming up.

"We wish to develop Gujarat as a medical tourist destination," he told reporters 

Mitra said the state has evolved as a tourist destination centre in the last five to six years and insisted that it has got a lot to offer to the tourism industry as a whole.

Emphasising on the varied geographical and ancient architecture, he said Gujarat is a "complete holiday destination for a family.

"Gujarat has something to offer for everyone. From young to old everyone can enjoy his stay in Gujarat," he said.

Mitra hailed the state's association with megastar Amitabh Bachchan as a turning point in the Gujarat's tourism industry.

"Our association with Bachhan has been really great. He has got a huge following and the state has benefited from it," he said adding that they were looking to carry forward the relationship with the cine icon.

Mitra also said that states hotel industry is growing by leaps and bounds and has the potential to accommodate global tourist.

"The number of hotel rooms have increased from 4,000 to 64,000. There has also been great rise in the number of tourists visiting the state in last two year. We have received more than one crore tourists from across the globe in last five-six years," Mitra said adding in the last two years alone they have received 54 lakh tourists.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the International Kite Festival, the Gujarat Tourism Department has decided to take the event outside the state to attract more tourists. The department will organise kite festivals in Delhi and Mumbai on January 7 in which around 100 kite enthusiasts from countries like Ukraine, China, Italy, Cambodia, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Malaysia and South Korea among others, will participate.

Later, they will visit Gujarat for seven kite festivals to be held at different places before the concluding event in Ahmedabd on January 13. “The message to be sent through this kite festivals (in Delhi and Mumbai) is ‘Chalo Gujarat’,” said Vipul Mittra, Principal Secretary (Tourism).

With nearly five million tourists visiting the state over the last two years, the government has a Rs 730-crore plan to develop tourism infrastructure in 22 districts. The Tourism of Gujarat Corporation Limited (TGCL) is focusing on developing infrastructure and systematic planning for promotion of different popular destinations of Gujarat under the Khushboo Gujarat Ki campaign.

The Planning Commission has sanctioned Rs 1200 crore for development of coastal tourism under the current five-year plan. This assumes significance as Gujarat has the longest coastline of 1,600 kms.

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