Rajasthan Tourism and FHTR hold its first Promotional Roadshow for RDTM 2023

The first Promotional Roadshow for Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart (RDTM) was held on May 09, 2023, in Jaipur. The Mart is being jointly organised by the Department of Tourism, the Government of Rajasthan, and the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism in Rajasthan (FHTR) in July 2023. It is also supported by the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Rajasthan (HRAR), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA), and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO).

On the occasion, an MoU was also signed between the Department of Tourism and FHTR. This MoU is for the digital promotion of tourism in Rajasthan in Public Private Partnership. On behalf of the Department, Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Director, and on behalf of FHTR, Apurv Kumar, President, signed the document.

During the Roadshow, Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, conveyed that with the industry status being given to tourism in Rajasthan as well as the various forward-looking policies and schemes such as Rajasthan Rural Tourism Scheme 2022, Rajasthan Guest House Scheme 2020, Rajasthan Film Tourism Promotion Policy, etc. The state offers a conducive environment for investment in the State. Domestic tourists are significant to boost the economy and there is a need to segregate the demands of the tourists and cater to all kinds of tourism such as luxury tourism, niche tourism, religious tourism, etc. A SWOT analysis of the infrastructure available at these sites also needs to be done to ensure that there is no stagnation in tourism.

She further stated that Rajasthan offers a complete package conducive to investment in tourism and that the state is also developing as an important MICE and wedding destination. The numerous heritage properties in the state serve as great venues for weddings and MICE events. Golf courses are also being developed to boost golf tourism. Talking about the forthcoming RDTM, she said that it is a perfect example of a great PPP model to synergize efforts of the public and private sectors to boost tourism.

While introducing ‘Sustainable Tourism’ as the theme for the RDTM 2023, Apurv Kumar. President FHTR, said that Sustainable Tourism is becoming increasingly important as increasingly more people around the world seek to explore popular destinations. With a growing number of tourists visiting these places every year, there is a risk of natural resources being depleted and local communities being negatively impacted. To preserve the natural beauty and cultural heritage of tourist destinations for future generations, all stakeholders in the tourism industry must work together to promote sustainable practices. This includes minimizing the environmental impact of tourism, supporting local economies, and ensuring that the local community benefits from the presence of tourists.

Dr. Rashmi Sharma also mentioned that mindfulness is required to achieve a fine balance between how we use natural resources and what we give back to the environment. “The knowledge of ‘Vocal for Local’ and the three Rs of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle should be underlined to reduce the carbon footprint,” she added.

In his concluding remarks, Randhir Vikram Singh, Former President, FHTR, said that domestic tourism has been indispensable in the Covid-19 times to the tourism and hospitality industry. All tourism stakeholders will reap the benefits of the thriving platform that RDTM has become to promote domestic tourism and continue to lend their unwavering support. On the occasion, the Welcome Remarks were extended by Mohan Singh, Secretary General, FHTR, and the Vote of Thanks was proposed by Kuldeep Singh Chandela, Senior Vice President, FHTR.

It is to be recalled that the second edition of the RDTM last year was a huge success with over 5000 B2B meetings across 2 days. Almost 200 sellers exhibited over 800 properties, agencies, and experiences. Apart from the knowledge-sharing sessions, the mart was followed by four FAM trips for over 60 travel agents. The event gave a major fillip to domestic tourism.