Gujarat tourism plans tie-up with Goa

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-01-07
PANAJI- The Gujarat government is hoping to rope in investment of up to Rs 50,000 crore in the tourism sector during the up coming 4th Vibrant Gujarat Global investors’ Summit to be held on January 12 - 13 at Science City, Ahmedabad. The focus of the summit is on globalisation of Gujarat tourism. Announcing this at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon the chairman of Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd, Mr Kamlesh Patel told reporters that tourism is on upswing in Gujarat with the number of tourists more than doubling from 70 lakh in 2006-07 to 1.41 crore in 2007-08 and in 2008-09 it is expected to reach 1.70 crore thereby giving a good scope for investors to encash on the growth in the tourism sector by investing in it.
Mr Patel said that the state has everything to offer that a tourist needs and that the government would launch an aggressive marketing campaign to promote the state as ideal tourist destination as the tourism in Gujarat has great potential for economic growth and well being of people. He also said that the Gujarat government wanted to enter in to memoranda of understanding with other state, including Goa for inter-state promotion of tourism, and stakeholders in the tourism sector for further development of the tourism, even as he said that investments in Gujarat could pay rich dividends.
Earlier, the manager of TCGL in Mumbai, Mr Sanatan Pancholi said that the inaugural session of the summit would be held on January 12 and that seminar, conventions, and buyer-seller meet, mega exhibition and cultural programmes that will continue till January 17 would follow it.
Among those who would address the seminar are Tourism Minister of Sri Lanka, Mr Milinda Moragoda, Tourism Minister of Gujarat, Mr Jay Narayan Vyas, besides Mr Patel and host of other stalwarts from tourism industry. A kite flying festival would also be held from January 10 to 14, he said.
The summit also coincides with the state’s Uttarayan festival, which is also celebrated as kite-flying day, said Mr Pancholi adding that an exhibition of kites would also be held during the period.