What is Khushboo Gujarat Ki?

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Dear friends,

I am thrilled to read the feedback of  Shveta  and Dhaval. Excellent! Let me write something in response to their mail.

Tourism in Gujarat is growing rapidly. Friends! Government of Gujarat decided to revitalize the Gujarat tourism sector around 2010. Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan was chosen as the brand ambassador for Gujarat tourism. With an aggressive promotion over TV and other media, the year 2010 was the turning point in the history of tourism in Gujarat. The promotion paid off very well.

The campaign ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ starring Big B (Amitabh Bachchan) has proved to be a golden goose for Gujarat tourism. What a wonderful campaign it has been! For the first time, Gujarat has been so loud and visible in the tourism arena. I agree with Shveta. She says that Amitabh Bachchan is speaking from his heart. He acts and speaks as if he is an icon of Gujarati hospitality. ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ promotes Gujarat tourism, more than that it disseminates the flavour of the land, the fragrance of Gujarati culture, the very essence of Gujarat.

The short films of the ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ steered by the legendary ad-maker Piyush Pandey have been attracting both national and international tourists in large numbers to Gujarat. While tourism in India is growing in a low single digit, that in Gujarat is growing at above 13 percent.

But this is not enough. Gujarat has a long way to go to scale up its tourism.

You all will agree, friends, that ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ should mean a lot to tourists.

Let us ponder over the issues where we still need to focus. We want the tourists to be drawn mesmerizingly to Gujarat. Tourists from all over India expect Gujarat to be different from other states. Tourists from the USA, UK or European countries expect Gujarat to have above average tourist amenities. Government of Gujarat will need to make herculean efforts to translate tourism into an economy-booster industry.

Do we really know what Gujarat has to offer? Do we project them the way a tourist should know Gujarat? Friends! The modern day tourist does not travel only for sight-seeing, he travels for a purpose.  A tourist often travels to get to know a place, to experience the throbs of a place. But we fail to provide the right information to the tourists in the right ways. Time is right to redefine Gujarat tourism.

Gujarat has rich sites of historical importance (Ahmedabad), cultural importance (Dang-Aahwa , Tarnetar Fair), heritage and archeological importance (Modhera, Lothal, Dhola Vira), religious importance (Somnath, Ambaji, Palitana, Dwarka etc), flora-and-fauna importance (Sasan Gir, Jambughoda, Velavadar etc), tourist pleasure importance (Saputara, Tithal) and many more. This is just a shortlist.

Gujarat tourism can be so colourful!  Gujarat has much more to give to tourists in terms of history, culture, religion, wildlife, architecture, archeology, sight-seeing picnic spots, holidaying places and others.

Awaiting your response,

GujTourist11

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