Gujarat will be one of the top five states in India in terms of tourist footfalls by 2025, according to the Gujarat Tourism Policy for 2015-2020 released here on Sunday.
The policy document pegs the investment potential in the tourism sector in the state at $4 billion or around Rs 26,000 crore by 2025. It also envisages an employment potential for three million people by then.
Releasing the policy here on Sunday, which would be effective from the date of notification till March 2020, state tourism minister Saurabh Patel said the government has decided to accord 'industry'status to tourism. "Since the foundation of Gujarat, it is for the first time that tourism has been granted the status of an industry. Tourism sector will now get all the benefits that industry gets," Patel added. He said with the steady increase of tourists and pilgrims, the sector needs a major boost. According to him, there is a need to develop infrastructural and other facilities at tourist spots across Gujarat. Considering this aspect, the state has decided to provide capital subsidy for setting up new hotels.
The government also announced a slew of tax relaxations to boost entrepreneurship in the tourism sector. For example, a 100 per cent reimbursement on stamp duty, apart from exemption on luxury tax, entertainment tax and electricity duty have been provided for.
As such, investments of around Rs 50 crore will get admissible subsidy of 15 per cent with a maximum limit of Rs 10 crore.
The policy document said, "The popular marketing campaign titled 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' has generated a lot of interest in tourists. This has also contributed to the ever-increasing tourist flow in to the state. The same during the year 2014-15 was 32.7 million, which was 13.56 per cent higher than that of the previous year."
