Rajasthan – An All-Time Tourist Destination: Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari

Jaipur, Aug 2025 : Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Art, and Culture, Smt. Diya Kumari, while addressing the Rajasthan Business Summit and Award Ceremony organized by The Economic Times in Jaipur on Thursday, said that the private sector has played a very important and remarkable role in the development of Rajasthan’s tourism. She noted that the government cannot run tourism as a business but can work as a facilitator. The government can develop facilities, and that is being done.

She stated that the government can build roads, expand rail, bus, and air connectivity, and these efforts are being carried out regularly. The government is also working on the conservation of tourist sites.

Highlighting global climate change, she said that earlier it was believed that tourism in Rajasthan was not possible during the off-season, but this perception needs to change. “Tourism is possible in Rajasthan even during the off-season. Rajasthan is an all-time tourist destination,” she said.

Diya Kumari called upon people to come forward with new ideas, themes, and innovations for new opportunities in tourism development. She emphasized that the government will encourage new ideas in tourism, and events like IIFA should be organized at least once or twice a year. She further added that Rajasthan has great potential for concert tourism and conference tourism. In today’s age, social media platforms are highly important and influential tools for tourism promotion.

Earlier, Principal Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Art and Culture and Chairman of RTDC, Shri Rajesh Yadav, said that apart from historical monuments, Rajasthan has immense possibilities in various other tourism sectors, on which work is being done. He noted that the state is rapidly advancing in the tourism sector and is emerging as a global leader in tourism.

He informed that significant work is being done on the Tribal Tourism Circuit by the Rajasthan government. Similarly, religious tourism, rural tourism, and wildlife tourism are also emerging as excellent destinations. Rajasthan’s food, heritage, music, and folk culture encompass unique possibilities. He added that the extraordinary cultural heritage of Shekhawati’s havelis enriches Rajasthan’s tourism and opens new doors for the sector. Several new areas of tourism are emerging in the state.

Shri Yadav further stated that the state government recently implemented the Tourism Unit Policy 2024, which provides several incentives for investors. He also mentioned that the government will soon introduce two new policies. The first is the Rajasthan Tourism Policy, focusing on integrated tourism infrastructure, employment generation, and experience-based tourism. The second is the Rajasthan Film Tourism Promotion Policy, aimed at making the state a global film shooting hub.

Tourism Commissioner Smt. Rukmani Riar highlighted Rajasthan’s potential in the tourism sector. She informed that Rajasthan ranks fifth in India in terms of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals.

Smt. Riar said that the uniqueness of Rajasthan tourism lies in its diversity, which includes historical forts, palaces, deserts, lakes, wildlife sanctuaries, religious sites, and rural tourism. She further added that Rajasthan is known as the most preferred destination for destination weddings, luxury tourism, and heritage tourism. In addition, the state has also become a hub for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE). She emphasized that Rajasthan’s specialty lies in preserving its heritage, and while safeguarding it, the state is fast becoming the first choice for tourists both nationally and globally.