Bhuj (Gujarat): Noting that Gujarat's rich
cultural heritage has the potential to make the state the
world's top tourist destination, Chief Minister Narendra Modi
has said he was aiming at bringing a substantial amount of
tourist money in the region.
Inaugurating the 'Rannotsav', a three-day desert
festival in the Rann of Kutch Tuesday evening, Modi said Gujarat
will woo tourists with its own brand of tourism, without
"western gimmicks" like hotels and theme parks.
"The annual turnover of the international tourist
industry is USD 7 trillion, more than four times
India's national budget. And I want to bring in that money
here to Kutch and to Gujarat," he said while opening the
festival on the banks of the Hamirasar Lake.
"We led the industrial revolution, the white
revolution, now it's time for a cultural revolution. If a
tourist goes to Agra, he would have nothing much to do after
four hours. But if he comes to Gujarat, he will see sights he
will not get to see anywhere else in the world," he said.
The initiatives are part of government's effort to
make up for the lost years in the sphere of tourism, by wooing
travellers to the state, which is known more as an industrial
state.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 11:07