Rajasthan unveils new tourism promotion campaign; aims to Double FTAs by 2020

Hawa Mahal The Government of Rajasthan launched Rajasthan Tourism 3.0 campaign, a multi-year, multi-modal, multi-narrative and multi-crore global campaign, to galvanise tourism in the state with a view to raise the annual tourist arrivals past the 50 million mark by 2020. The campaign aims of doubling the annual footfall of international tourists from 1.5 million to 3.0 million by the year 2020. In the same period, the Government also focuses to increase the domestic tourist traffic from the present 33 million to 50 million tourists annually.  Unveiling the campaign before a gathering of eminent stakeholders, including leaders from across the tourism sector, Vasundhara Raje, CM, Rajasthan said, “Tourism is the world's biggest industry and Rajasthan with its rich heritage is poised to fully exploit the opportunities the state offers. Our plan for tourism is nested within the broader Rajasthan model of development, which has three pillars – job creation, social justice and effective governance.”  The campaign also includes a new website and an advertisement Print, TV and Outdoor spots which are aimed at attracting both the seasoned traveller and the youth to explore Rajasthan in a whole new way. Ogilvy & Mather would be the creative partner for the Rajasthan Tourism 3.0 campaign. Rajasthan Tourism aim to implement an integrated plan that revolves around experience, infrastructure, cleanliness, security and marketing. The campaign also focuses on highlighting Rajasthan as a favoured tourism destination not just during peak periods but throughout the year. This campaign will also spread awareness about the lesser known destinations that the state has to offer. In the least two years the Government of Rajasthan has focused on strengthening the tourism infrastructure – not only through upgrading existing circuits but also by developing new circuits. Ahead of the Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit held in Jaipur on November 19-20, 2015, Raje had launched a tourism unit policy which attempts to remove difficulties in setting up hospitality units, especially in rural areas. The state also inked 139 MoUs with an estimated investment of INR 6277 crores in the hospitality sector alone. These projects are expected to provide employment to about 20,000 youth.  “The scope for expansion of the tourism industry in India and specially Rajasthan is significant. Rajasthan with its rich heritage has enormous potential to attract travelers from across the globe and also create value for investors in the state.”  Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Hon’ble Union Minister of State (IC) for Tourism & Culture, said The launch of a new tourism campaign is in line with the state’s efforts to provide a further boost to the sector and attract more tourists to the state. To achieve this, the state reinvigorated our world famous festivals through PPP model. These include the Pushkar Fair, Desert Festival and Kumbalgarh Festival. New events like the Bhakti Music Festival, Coke Studio, International Photo Fest and International Music Festival have also been added to the annual calendar.  “Global trends indicate that Asia Pacific’s share in global tourist traffic will rise from 22% to 30% in the next 10-15 years. Through our campaign, we aim to attract these travellers to India and especially to Rajasthan. Even a small rise in this traffic to the State will create tremendous opportunities for our state and its tourism industry.”  Shailendra Agrawal, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Art & Culture, Archeology & Museums, Government of Rajasthan said.