In Gandhi?s footsteps

Gujarat,  in western India, welcomed 289,349 visitors in 2009, a figure it hopes to improve by 15 to 17 per cent this year. Top market sources last year were the US and the UK, but Asian countries contributed 21.5 per cent of 2009?s total haul.

Gujarat tourism minister Jay Narayan Vyas said the land of Mahatma Gandhi aimed to be India?s tourism frontrunner by 2020. To get there, the state has invested US$22 million in infrastructure and basic amenities since 2006 and roped in Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador.

Gujarat will be celebrating the golden jubilee of its formation this May and the state government proposes to set up Mahatma Mandir, a US$22 million memorial for Gandhi, at Gandhinagar to mark the event.

Rooms are pouring into the western Indian state.

HVS Hospitality?s latest research for the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India had 12 new hotels commencing operations in Ahmedabad in the next three years, adding to the state?s present inventory of 2,500 rooms in 45 two- to five-star hotels. For starters, Crowne Plaza will make its debut next year with 230 rooms.

Recent additions to Gujarat?s hospitality landscape are the 164-room Courtyard by Marriott Ahmedabad, the 129-room St Laurn Towers, the 114-room Cambay Grand and the 104-room Royal Orchid. The state also has 19 heritage hotels ? old palaces that have been converted into hotels.

The global economic recession last year brought down rates marginally.

Average room rates in Ahmedabad in 2009 dropped to US$89, from US$92 the previous year. In Vadodara, average rate stood at US$61.

The HVS Hospitality report warned of a possible price war in the state once the new hotels opened but, in the long run, Gujarat?s emergence as a financial and business hub in western India is expected to hold the state in good stead.

The Gujarat International Financial Tec-City, a new central business district rising 12km from the international airport, will accommodate four million people by 2020. On top of this, infrastructure improvements are expected to draw even more investments to the state, supplying it with a steady stream of corporate business.

Gujarat is expanding its product line with new activities and attractions.

Vyas said: ?We are investing in funicular trains at Saputara, Ambaji and Junagad ? each project costing around US$22 million. At the hill station Saputara, we are also creating the world?s largest artificial lake.?
The state is also setting up laser shows at various historical monuments and has acquired land for a Wonders of the World themepark in Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, with the wealth of natural wonders at its disposal, Gujarat has identified watersports, birdwatching and wildlife spotting as tourist draws.

The regional government is also developing eight tourist hubs, complete with modern infrastructure, facilities and services. These are Ahmedabad Metro, Ahmedabad Rural, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar and Bhuj (Kutch).

A newly developed Gandhi Heritage Corridor starts at Gandhi?s residence, Sabarmati Ashram, and winds 372km to Dandi, site of Gandhi?s salt agitation during India?s independence movement.

Gujarat?s tourism department has also proposed a US$77 million upgrade of the historical Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat is the only Indian state that bans the sale and consumption of alcohol. Foreign visitors, however, are allowed to buy liquor at the domestic airport and selected hotels. 

For a natural high, the state relies on its many festivals and events, which number more than 200 a year. The most popular among foreign visitors are the International Kite Festival in January, the Navratri festival in October, and the Rann Utsav desert festival in December, which features folk dances, cultural programmes and carnivals.