Gujarat Tourism bags three National Tourism Awards

Gujarat Tourism bags three National Tourism Awards

Gujarat Tourism has bagged three National Tourism Awards for best tourism film, innovative use of information and technology and one of the best State for comprehensive development of tourism in the country. Under the best tourism film category “Khushboo Gujarat Ki” campaign fetched the award for Gujarat Tourism while Gujarat grabbed the third prize for one of the best State under the Comprehensive Development of Tourism (Rest of India) category after Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Gujarat Tourism has launched “Khushboo Gujarat Ki” (fragrance of Gujarat) campaign in 2011 to promote various tourist destinations and to uphold rich culture and tradition of Gujarat. The campaign is being anchored by Megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

Announcing these Awards in New Delhi on March 12, Indian Tourism Minister Mr. Chiranjeevi said every year the categories of awards are reviewed with new categories being added to recognize excellence in diverse fields, in accordance with the requirements of changing times. He said recognising the importance of Cinema as a powerful tool for the development and promotion of the destinations, the Ministry has instituted a National Tourism Award for “Best Tourism Film” and Gujarat is the first State to bag the National Tourism Award under the best tourism film category.

Khushboo Gujarati Ki Campaign by Amitabh Bachchan

In 2010, Gujarat Tourism signed an agreement with noted Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and engaged him to be the brand ambassador to promote various destinations of Gujarat. Since taking over as the brand ambassador of Gujarat, Amitabh Bachchan has promoted places like Kutch, Dwarka, Somnath and Gir National Forest in the first phase of campaign.

 

During the second phase, Amitabh Bachchan, has projected Saputara, a hilly station of Gujarat bordering Maharashtra, Porbandar, birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, Lothal,  one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization and Sidhpur, a sacred town in Gujarat where last rituals of Mother is performed.

All these destinations are seeing double digit growth in tourist inflow including 30 per cent increase in foreign tourists. In 2006-07, the figure stood at 1.27 crore*, which increased to 1.70 crore in 2009-10. In 2009-10, total tourist inflow in Gujarat was 17011247 while in 2010-11 the total tourist inflow increased by more than 28 lacks taking the total to 1.98 crore. During 2011-12, the total inflow of tourists in Gujarat was 2.23 crore out of which 4.5 lakh** were foreign with a sharp increase of more than 14 per cent over the previous year.

 

Through the Kushboo Gujarat Ki campaign, Amitabh Bachchan has not only projected various tourist destinations, he has also featured Gujarat's rich tradition and various festivals like Kutch Festival.

 

Announcing these awards, Union Tourism Minister Mr. Chiranjeevi said it is an ongoing endeavour of the Ministry to diversify the tourism products of the country by developing and promoting new niche segments, so as to attract different categories of tourists with diverse interests and to promote India as a year - round destination. In keeping with this thrust of the Ministry, new categories of awards for “Medical Tourism Facilities” and for “Tour Operators Promoting Niche segments” had been introduced in 2011.

Hyderabad based Apollo Health City has bagged the Medical Tourism Facility Award while Mr. Yann Martel, author of the Book “Life of Pi”, has been awarded with a special National Tourism Award for promoting India (Puducherry and Munnar) through the film.

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India annually presents National Tourism Awards to various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. These awards are being given since the early 1990s and are presented to State Governments / Union Territories, classified hotels, heritage hotels, approved travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators, individuals and other private organizations in recognition of their performance in their respective fields and also to encourage healthy competition with an aim to promote tourism.

The National Tourism Awards for the year 2011-12 will be given away at a function to be held at New Delhi on March 18 when the President of India will grace the occasion as Chief Guest and give away the awards in various categories.

*Crore is equal to ten million (10,000,000)
** Lakh is equal to one hundred thousand (100,000)

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Gujarat could not find place on India Promotion Calendar 2012

Khushboo Gujarat Ki (fragrance of Gujarat) could not find a place from the India Promotion Calendar 2012 released by Indian Tourism Minister, Subodh Kant Sahai in New Delhi on December 14, 2011. The Calendar projects India’s cultural diversity by showcasing the rich architectural heritage of the country, its natural beauty and the multitude of faiths, through various tourist destinations in the country. The Minister expressed the hope that the calendar will play an important role in promoting tourism in India.

Each leaf of the calendar carries a border depicting the traditional fabric of the represented States alongwith a brief descriptive. The 12 page calendar depicts Taj Mahal of Uttar Pradesh, the back waters of Kerala, Lotus Temple of Delhi, Golden Temple of Amritsar, Mahabodhi Tree of Bodhgaya in Bihar, Tso-Moriri Lake of Ladakh, Kedarnath Temple of Uttaranchal, Victoria Memorial of West Bengal, Gurudongmar Lake of Sikkim, Hampi Ruins of Karnataka, Jaisalmer fort of Rajasthan and the National animal - Tiger.

The promotional calendars of the Ministry of Tourism of the Indian Government are widely distributed in India and Overseas, with the objective of promoting the tourism destinations and products of the country. They are sent to the trade and media in India and Overseas, Foreign Missions in India and Indian Missions Overseas, India tourism Offices in India and Overseas, etc.

Meanwhile, the India Promotion Calendar invited a severe criticism from the people of Gujarat which could not find any place in the Calendar.

“It is unfortunate” said a supporter of Gujarat Tourism adding “here in Gujarat you will discover centuries of history as spanning the geological core of the earth onto a fascinatingly vibrant future.”

Union Government led by Congress, should not play politics with its political rival BJP which rules Gujarat when promoting the country as a preferred tourist destination, said a tourist service provider from Gujarat.

It is said that Gujarat is unique in its geological and topographical landscape. From volcanic outpourings through bedrock to fossil fields of indegenous dinosaurs; from the art of the neolithic cave painter to the stone masterpieces of a series of civilized architecture. Gujarat has it all.

Earlier in 2010, noted actor Amitabh Bachchan had been roped to be the brand ambassador of the Gujarat Tourism. Since taking over the brand ambassador of Gujarat, Amitabh Bachchan promoted places like Kutch, Dwarka, Somnath and Gir National Park. 

All these destinations are seeing double digit growth in tourist arrivals including 30 per cent increase in foreign tourists. In 2006-07, the figure stood at 1.27 lakh, which increased to 1.70 lakh in 2009-10. In 2010-11, nearly two lakh tourists arrived.

In the second phase of campaign, Bachchan is promoting places like Saputara, Ambaji, Adalaj step wells and the Buddhist circuit. Gujarat Tourism Corporation is expecting sharp increase in tourist arrivals for these places as well.

Over the next two years, the Gujarat Government will pump in Rs.650 crore towards developing tourism activities and promoting tourism infrastructure.