Heritage hotels are a window to the rich cultural legacy of India. Out of the total 173 properties in the country, 127 happen to be in Rajasthan.

Speaking at the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) on Saturday, Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, president of IHHA, said, "The heritage hotels today are generating direct and indirect revenue of around Rs 5000 crores. Of which over Rs 500 crores come as revenue from the member properties, as per the general international tourist expenditure trend report. And this is calculated only with 30 per cent occupancy. Any tourist coming to a city ends up spending ten times the money he spends on his accommodation."

And this figure would double if the infrastructure like roads, power and connectivity improve. The state government, he said, could play a major role in creating quality infrastructure which would give a fillip to heritage properties, said Gaj Singh.

The unique selling proposition of heritage hotels is that they preserve and open up the rich cultural history and art to the tourists. "If only the government could put 5 % of the revenue earned into improving the infrastructure, the visiting tourists would carry back a positive image of the place," said Aman Nath, who pioneered the trend of heritage hotels with the Neemrana property.

The collective efforts of the heritage hotels, Gaj Singh said, have generated vast employment opportunities in the rural areas. The IHHA members, today, are the major contributors to the state's economy. He pointed out that the association has also made a major contribution in preserving and renovating the heritage properties. The hotels are an important source of foreign exchange earnings, he added.