Gujarat to lure urban traveller to its villages

Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd is planning to develop 'agri-tourism' circuits

After tasting success with the 'Khushboo Gujarat ki' campaign, which renewed interest in Gujarat tourism, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) is now planning to add a new kind of tourism experience for travellers in Gujarat, agri-tourism. The concept is already successful in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra and the state government plans to replicate a similar model here.

K Sasikumar, general manager, TCGL said that the state government has identified two districts, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha, where it plans to develop as agri-tourism circuits. He was talking at the sidelines of the International Conference on Sustainable Tourism and elaborated that this is a niche tourism concept whereby an entire village community can participate and, in turn, benefit from the tourist inflow to the area.

Pandurang Taware, president and managing director of Agri Tourism Development Company Pvt Ltd claimed that in Maharashtra agri-tourism is already a Rs 15 crore business. "Around 218 farmers across the state participate in this kind of a tourism practice, whereby the visitor can stay at a farmers' house, experience the village life, watch him work in his farm, may be also participate, buy fresh farm produce etc. It is an altogether new experience for the urban citizen," he said.

Taware claimed that last year nearly 350,000 tourists visited such farms and the total turnover was around Rs 15 crore. "Farmers involved in this initiative have been earning about Rs 5 lakh annually on an average over and above the income from their conventional farming activities," he said.

Gujarat is trying to replicate a similar model here, and as Sasikumar explained the state already has several agricultural produce like cotton, groundnut and several spices and condiments like jeera etc, and farm visits can be an attractive weekend travel option for the urban traveller.

It has been estimated that nearly 43 per cent of the urban Indians do not have a single relative who live in remote villages, Taware claimed. "Hence, these activities hold huge tourism potential for the Indian as well foreign travellers here, "feels Taware.

As for promoting agri-tourism, TCGL is planning to promote it through its website as well as roadshows etc.