TOURISM

POLICY Of
GUJARAT

Submitted by:
Shreyasi Bontha
III B.Com TM
16BT039A

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 Introduction
Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up the know-it-all Indophile, and reveals
treasures hidden from the tourist hordes. Gujaratis are famous for their business sense and
entrepreneurship, both within India as well as abroad. Encounter an Indian entrepreneur
anywhere, from Wall Street to Wellington, and there’s a good chance they hail from this
wealthy, resourceful state. There are many significant sites of God Krishna’s life lie along the
coast of Saurashtra.The geographic diversity and strategic location has made Gujarat home to an
incredible diversity of people. With 20% of the country's total industrial output, it is the most
industrialized state in Republic of India.

About 89% of the population of Gujarat are Hindu. Muslims account for 9% and Jains 1% of the
population. Most of the Gujarati people are strict “vegetarians”. Amongst Hindus,
Lord Krishna is famously worshipped throughout Gujarat. Since Gujarat being a heavily
industrialized state of India, attracts lots of outsiders from various parts of India.

The Winters are mild, pleasant, and dry with average daytime temperatures around 29 °C (83 °F)
and nights around 12 °C (53 °F) with 100 percent sunny days and clear nights. The Summers are
extremely hot and dry with day temperatures around 46 °C (115 °F) and at night no lower than
34 °C (90 °F) with sunshine. The time just before the Monsoon, the temperature are similar to
Summer but now there is high humidity which makes things feel hotter. Relief comes when the
monsoon season starts around mid June. The day temperatures are lower to around 38 °C
(100 °F) but humidity is very high and nights are around 27 °C (80 °F). Winter (October to
March) is the best time to travel in Gujarat.

Gujarati is the language spoken here, although Hindi is widely understood. In main cities,
English is widely known.

Ahmedabad is the only International Airport in Gujarat with regular flights to and
from London, New
York, Chicago, Singapore, Muscat, Kuwait, DohaQatar, Sharjah and Dubai.Domestically,
travellers can be coming from hubs such
as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Indore, Kolkata. Flights into smaller airports
of Baroda, Bhavnagar Bhuj, Diu, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla, Surat and Rajkot will
connect through Mumbai.

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The route you take depends on where you're coming from:

 From Delhi Agra, Jaipur Jodhpur, and from other place of North India: Take the National
Highway 8 (NH8).
 From Mumbai and from other place of North India: Take the National Highway 8 (NH8).
 From Nagpur and from other part of Vidarbh: Take the National Highway 6 (NH6).
 From Indore Bhopal and from other part of Central India: Take the National Highway 59
(NH59).
Gujarat has 1,572 Km National Highway Network.

India has very big rail network. Indian Rail has total 63,140 kilometres rail track network
in Indiaand 5,890 km rail network in Gujarat.

 There are trains from/to Bombay (500 km) and New Delhi (1000 km) and other big cities
of India several times a day going to the main cities of North-Centre-South Gujarat
like: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat.
 Cites of Saurashtra and Kutch like: Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Surendranagar,
Porbandar, Kandla and Rajkot are connected via Mumbai.

Development in this sector requires close partnerships between the governments, the private
sector and communities. It is perhaps the only sector which has a very elaborate and multiple
backward and forward linkages with other segments of the economy like infrastructure,
transport, construction, environment, water resources, etc. Current trends and growth projections
at the Global, National and State level reinforce the immense potential of tourism as a
noteworthy contributor to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment.

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 Tourism Potential of Gujarat
Tourism has evolved from just exploring new places to an opportunity for enhancing
international relations, expanding business boundaries and appreciating cultural diversities. It
helps bring different countries, peoples and cultures together while significantly contributing to
the economic and social development.
As per the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)“Tourism Highlights,2015”
International Tourist Arrivals (ITAs) were 1,133 million in 2014 while International Tourism
Receipts (ITRs) were USD 1,245 billion. The revenue share from tourism was 9% of the total
GDP. Today worldwide, one in eleven jobs may be ascribed to the tourism industry.
As per the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India 2014 Report, the number of foreign tourist
arrivals in India is 7.68 million and that of domestic tourist visits to all States/UTs is 1,282
million. The foreign exchange earnings from Tourism were approximately USD 20.24 billion
during the same period.
The Vibrant State of Gujarat, a veritable Growth Engine of India, accounts for about six percent
of the total geographical area of the Country and five percent of its population. From being a
favoured port for mariners, nucleus of business and industry, cradle for culture and religion,
epicentre of the Freedom Struggle, home of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel to the abode of
the Asiatic lion, Gujarat is richly endowed with tourism assets.
Gujarat is bestowed with great geographical diversity, from the ethereal saltencrusted desert to
the expansive wetlands, pristine beaches to languid valleys, arid grasslands to lush forests. From
Dholavira, one of the first cities in the world, to the first prototype of “Smart City” in India,
Gujarat has it all. Tourists here soak in the rich cultural diversity, indulge in the various fairs and
festivals, savour the cuisine and take back fond memories of their visits which they relish for a
lifetime. The popular marketing campaign titled “Khushboo Gujarat Ki” has generated a lot of
interest in the tourists. This has also contributed to the ever-increasing tourist flow in to the State.
The same during the year 2014-15 was 32.7million which was 13.56% higher than that of the
previous year.
The diversity in tourism assets is matched by a robust infrastructure base. Strategically located
on the west coast of India, Gujarat is well connected to some of the major cities of the world by
air and sea routes. It has one of the highest number of airports and airstrips numbering 17 in all-
including an international airport at Ahmedabad. Further, with a strong port infrastructure
backbone, it has some 42 ports along a 1,600 km coastline, over 5,000 km of rail network, about
77,000 km of motorable roads, 24 x 7 power supply and above all an enviable law-and-order
situation. Characteristic of a buoyant economy, the State Domestic Product (SDP) growing at an
average growth rate of nearly10% since 2005, is higher than the national average. Carrying
forward the rich legacy of the immediate past, the State Government has embarked upon a
flagship programme of Gatisheel Gujarat further fuelling all-round growth and development.

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 Tourism Policy of Gujarat (2015-2020)

Another key feature of the new policy is the 'capital subsidy' to be given to the new tourism units
being set up in the operative period of the policy, ending on March 2020.

Apart from new units, this subsidy will also be given to those who are doing expansion.

Under this provision, tourism units having proposed investment of up to Rs 50 crore, excluding
the cost of land, are now eligible to get 15 per cent capital subsidy, with maximum limit of Rs
7.5 crore, stated the policy document released today.

Those investing more than Rs 50 crore will also get 15 per cent subsidy in the limit of Rs 10
crore.

Additional capital subsidy of 5 per cent would be given to those units which fall under the
corporation limits of Gandhinagar and also in the adjoining areas falling within 20 km radius.

In addition, entrepreneurs are now eligible to get loan interest subsidy ranging from 5 to 7 per
cent for normal tourism units, such as hotels and resorts, and 7 per cent subsidy for Heritage
Hotel projects.

Under the new policy, eligible tourism units will get 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty
and registration fees on sale, lease or transfer of land.

Further, all such units are now exempted from paying Luxury Tax, Entertainment Tax and
electricity duty for a period of five years from commencement of the unit.

For mega tourism projects, having investment of more than Rs 75 crores and capacity to employ
more than 150 persons, government will give capital subsidy of 15 per cent in the limit of Rs 20
crore. In addition, they are exempted from paying taxes for seven years.

On the skill development front, training will be imparted to tourist guides hailing from local
areas with a monthly stipend of Rs 5000 to them. In addition, efforts will be made to set up
'Tourist Police' department for the safety of tourists, stated the policy document.

The policy also focuses on developing some of the untouched avenues of tourism sector in the
state, such as exploring possibilities in Cruise Tourism and Beach Tourism on coastal areas
under PPP model.

According to state Tourism Secretary S J Haider, the key purpose of this new policy is to
bring Gujarat in the list of top 5 states of India in tourism sector

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Vision

To position Gujarat as a vibrant tourist destination, with an emphasis on improving

visitor experience, livelihood linkages, environmental concerns and enhancing investment

opportunities, thus catapulting tourism as one of the most important economic drivers, leading to

sustainable development and inclusive growth in the State.

Mission

(a) To unlock the immense untapped / under-tapped potential of tourism in the State;

(b) To develop tourism products and strengthen infrastructure;

(c) To undertake tourism-specific skill development leading to gainful employment and

self-employment especially for the local populace;

(d) To preserve and upgrade environment as also to encourage responsible tourism in the

State;

(e) To create an investment-friendly policy framework and suitably ensure access to

requisite tourist infrastructural facilities;

(f) To showcase the infrastructure and institutions, achievements and accomplishments,

entrepreneurship and hospitality of Gujarat in order to attract investments in the State

and, thereby, espouse the cause of ‘Make in India’;

(g) To focus on promotion and branding of Gujarat as a leading tourist destination the

world over.

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Objectives

(a) To make Gujarat one amongst the top five tourist States of India in terms of local,

national and international tourist footfalls by 2025;

(b) To attract the MICE segment, by creating convention/exhibition facility and support

infrastructure;

(c) To leverage innovative forms of tourism such as adventure, cruise, event-based,

inland waterways, medical and others;

(d) To develop diverse tourism packages and products to augment tourist stay and

encourage repeat visits;

(e) To promote tourism for all segments of the society especially facilitating senior

citizens, the differently-abled, homemakers, farmers and students, by ensuring

affordable accommodation and travel circuits;

(f) To provide tourism infrastructure in terms of tourist information, transport services,

accommodation and way-side amenities;

(g) To enhance the use of ICT in the sector and further improve the quality of services;

(h) To upgrade skills, knowledge & professionalism and promote employment

opportunities for additional two million persons by 2025;

(i) To promote responsible tourism in the State and develop tourism products in an

environment-friendly manner; and

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(j) To create enabling framework for public-private partnerships in developing tourism

products, projects and services.

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 Analysis

As tourism worldwide gets attention of respective government, Gujarat is in the same

direction and chalking out plans to attract more and more number of tourists to Gujarat. Certain

programs and plans are in action for last few years. On the other hand, certain programs and

plans have been initiated recently and not having previous information or details. Research is

undertaken in the area of tourism with reference to plans framed and executed by tourism

department of Gujarat. Effort is made to analyze plans and its effects over growth of tourism

sector. As studying plans of government, these measures can be divided into different heads

like…

Films and serials as well as advertisements are more in touch with the society with

increasing use of television to release stress. Media is now more creative in the present time and

undertaking innovative experiments to make it more effective. Media Houses search for effective

locations suitable to their requirements and go for suitable locations. With this purpose of

attracting more media houses, Gujarat government has taken certain measures as following.

There are many places in Gujarat which are suitable for tourism as well as for film and television

shooting. There are quite number of films, serials, documentaries and advertisements being shot

in Gujarat. Government has planned to provide prompt approvals and adequate facilities to

producers. Tourism industry can be benefited if more people are willing to shoot in Gujarat. Not

its active consideration of government to ensure prompt and adequate facilities is available to

producers. Government is firm in providing below given facilities after careful consideration.

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 1. Municipal Commissioners of Municipal Corporation, Police commissioners, District

collectors, District Police Superintendents and District conservator of forest will give official

approval for shooting. In case of rejecting application, reasons are to be given to party. In case of

no decision within seven days, the permission will be deemed to have been granted. 2. Deemed

permission shall not apply… a. For monuments fall under Department of Archeology Survey b.

Reserve forest, forest or Sanctuary, Area falling under forest and environment department. 3. No

charges shall be levied for police bandobast at open sites and shooting in public places.

However, charges for water, electricity and utilization of buildings and other facilities are

applicable. 4. For security clearance, party needs to take local permission of police commissioner

or District Police Superintendent. In case of non rejection or granted, within seven days, from the

day of application, it will be deemed to have been granted. 5. Film Shooting Cell is to be

established within Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd. at Gandhinagar and at Mumbai Branch

Office. 6. Four consultants without creating of posts can be taken on contract basis through

consultancy services within limit of Rs. 30000 per month emoluments per consultant depending

on work assignment given by Managing Director, TCGL, Gandhinagar. 7. This cell shall carry

out marketing activities for film shooting etc. It shall also function as facilitation center. 8. This

cell shall function under the supervision of MD, TCGL, Gandhinagar. 9. “Toran Hotels” run by

TCGL shall offer concessional fare of 50% over the prevailing rates. Priority shall also be given

to such bookings.2 Many destinations in India are famous for shooting. Gujarat can also work for

encouraging tourism in the state. In connection with that government has made various efforts

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and changes needed in policy of states to smoothen the way for film makers. Government has

declared certain incentives as well as made efforts for prompt clearance 111 system in

registration and permission. Government can work further by establishing sound infrastructure in

the state to promote shooting in Gujarat.

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 Proposed Policy

The new policy is expected to dole out several incentives, including cheap power, to

attract industries to the state. The size of the textile industry, the largest employer in Gujarat, is

roughly Rs 2 lakh crore, say market sources. “We studied the textile policies of Maharashtra,

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and other states. We may replicate many

of their schemes given the geographical and industrial similarities between Gujarat and these

states,” said a senior government official privy to the development. “The state government is also

actively considering reducing power tariffs substantially, as demanded by the textile industry,”

the official added. The state recently declared it would reimburse state goods and services tax

(SGST) to the textile industry. The reimbursement will be given in lieu of sops given to the

sector under the earlier value added tax (VAT) regime.Meanwhile, it has been approved, in

principle, that all the schemes under the textile policy of 2012 will be continued in the new

policy as well. “The new policy envisages a special thrust on garments and technical textiles.

Creating a direct linkage between cotton growers and industry is needed, hence there will be

specific incentives to create linkages as well. There will also be a focus on establishing textiles

parks within GIDC estates and in other parts of the state,” sources added. Gujarat’s heritage

textiles such as the patola from Patan and bandhani from Jamanagar also need to be promoted.

“There may be a special scheme for them as well,” sources added.

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 Strategy
Augmentation of Tourist Infrastructure
(a) Developing and providing financial support for infrastructure facilities such as civic
amenities, accommodation and other tourism infrastructure;
(b) Prioritizing the development of wayside amenities along the major arterial highways
of the State;
(c) Granting additional financial support for tourism development to special areas to be
identified from time to time;
(d) Broadbasing the existing tourism to curtail the seasonality in tourist arrivals through;
(i) Development of facilities to support MICE in urban centres
(ii) Mega Tourism Projects in high-potential areas
(iii) Cruise Tourism along the long coastline
(iv) Water / Amusement/Theme Parks
(v) Spiritual Tourism
(vi) Coastal/ Beach Tourism
(vii) Cinematic Tourism
(viii) Khadi, Handloom, Handicraft and Textile Tourism
(ix) Archaeological and Historical Tourism
(x) Geo-tourism
(xi) Eco and Wildlife Tourism
(xii) Adventure Tourism and Water Sports
(xiii) Wellness and Medical Tourism
(xiv) Rural Tourism
(xv) Educational Tourism
(xvi) Cuisine Tourism
(xvii) Industrial Tourism
(e) Improvement of regional air connectivity, on PPP mode, by opening new air strips
and facilitating the commencement / strengthening of air operations at major tourist
destinations (to be undertaken by GUJSAIL in consultation with the Ministry of Civil
Aviation, GoI); and

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 (f) Financial assistance / support to women entrepreneurs, the differentlyabled and SC/ST
groups.

Tourist-centric Approach
(a) Improving tourist safety and security at all tourist destinations through schemes like
Tourist Wardens, 24 x 7 Centralized Helpline, etc;
(b) Improving the experience of young travellers by provision of crèches and play areas;
(c) Adopting a multilingual approach towards promotion through publicity material,
collaterals, guide training, etc;
(d) Improving access for the differently-abled, the infirm and the aged through provision
of ramps, escalators and other forms of assisted access to various tourist attractions;
(e) Developing the tourist circuits (indicative list appended at Annexure A) in a phased
manner;
(f) Promoting experiential tourism by showcasing and promoting various fairs and
festivals (indicative list appended at Annexure B), living traditions, local customs,
cuisines, etc;
(g) Evolving a system of taking regular feedback from various stakeholders in general
and a cross-section of the tourists in particular; and
(h) Strengthening of the Grievance-Redressal Mechanism.

Skill Development & Employment Generation

(a) Development of and tie-up with world-class training institutes;
(b) Training and certification (both short and long term) shall be imparted to guides,
hospitality staff, including home-stay hosts, tour operators, etc. from time to time;
(c) Reimbursement of course fee for identified training programmes;
(d) Financial support by way of monthly stipend to qualified tourist guides; &
(e) Generation of gainful employment and facilitation in self-employment for the local
trained people as also for the artisans, craftsmen and others.

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Promotion of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’
a) Various concessions and incentives have been provided to the hospitality sector in the
Tourism Policy to attract investments, both national and international, to help realize
the goals of “Make in India”
(b) An enabling mechanism will be put in place to ensure facilitation for investment in
the tourism sector through this Policy, over and above the provisions under ‘Gujarat
Industrial Policy - 2015’;
(c) Special incentives for adopting ICT in the tourism sector will be offered to the
investors;
(d) Promoting ICT-enabled technologies through mobile applications, social networking,
big data analytics, blogs, virtual tourism, etc;
(e) Major tourism sites may be duly equipped with CCTV cameras, WiFi services and
mobile-based services to the extent possible so as to ensure tourist safety and security
as also to enhance public convenience; and
(f) Promotion and marketing initiatives shall be further strengthened.

Thrust on Environment-Friendliness, Sanitation and Cleanliness

(a) Undertaking concerted activities under “Swachh Bharat” and “Swachh Gujarat”;
(b) Adopting the “Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India” for the tour operators and
hoteliers as laid down by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Government of India.
Sensitization for stakeholders shall be undertaken by means of workshops,
conferences, events, etc;
(c) Lending financial support to encourage green projects by tourism units through bio-
toilets, pollution control measures, solid/liquid waste management, energy efficiency
measures, etc; and
(d) Augmenting construction of public conveniences and maintaining cleanliness,
preferably through public participation or on PPP mode.

Emphasis on Innovation
(a) Provision of special financial assistance including promotion and marketing support to
innovative tourism projects; and
(b) Institution of “Excellence Awards” to, inter alia, incentivize innovation.

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Participation in GoI Schemes
Emphasis on active participation in GoI schemes like Swadesh Darshan,
PRASAD, HRIDAY, AMRUT, LRGP and other schemes as may be declared from time
to time.

Active Collaboration with the Central Government

Tourism development needs multi-departmental coordination. The State
Government will actively collaborate with MoT, MoUD, MoC, MoEF, ASI and other
GoI Ministries / Organizations.
Multi-pronged Approach for Ease of Doing Business
(a) Partnership would be further strengthened with Government of India, other State
Governments and the private stakeholders of the tourism industry;
(b) Coordination will be ensured amongst all the concerned Departments, for the smooth
and efficient implementation of the Tourism Policy;
(c) Adoption of a feedback-based approach to further improve visitors’ experience;
(d) Constitution of State-Level Empowered Committee (SLEC) to help remove
impediments and procedural bottle-necks; and
(e) Strengthening of Single-Window Clearance Cell in the Commissionerate of Tourism
(CoT).

Proactive Role of the State Government

Apart from being an effective facilitator, the State Government shall be leading
from the front in matters like Destination Development, Promotion of Fairs and Festivals,
Publicity Campaigns, IT Initiatives, Market Research, Exhibition and Seminars, Skill
Development, etc.

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