AHMEDABAD: Even a kite can draw the world to Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi exulted while highlighting fresh steps taken by his government to promote tourism in the state.
Opening the 25th International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati River front here, Modi said, “‘Patang Utsav’ (kite festival) is a routine effort. It has existed for a long time. But what was not there was the skill to show it to the world. We showed how a kite can draw the world to Gujarat.”
The kite festival comes close of the heels of Vibrant Gujarat Summit that attracted business leaders from India and different parts of the world to Gandhinagar.
Stating that this time the state government is taking the International Kite Festival to smaller towns, he said, “We are trying to take this festival to smaller towns like Modhera. We are trying to brand Modhera and market it.”
Stephan Bekker from Cape Town in South Africa said, “The atmosphere here is fantastic”. Delegates from 50 countries and ten states of India participated in the festival.
Modi also highlighted the efforts made by the Gujarat government to give a strong impetus to tourism. He said that festivals such as this will give a boost to tourism and also benefit the poorest of poor.
“Gujarat has a lot to show and give to the world. But in the past, least emphasis was given to promote tourism in the way in which it should have been. However, in the last few years, we have given an impetus to tourism. We want people to come to Gujarat, to see Gujarat,” the Chief Minister said.
Despite starting late on promoting tourism, he said that very few places would have emerged as such an attraction for tourists the way Gujarat has. Gujarat’s tourism sector was growing at a double rate than India’s, Modi said.
“Tourism sector in India is growing at 7 per cent while tourism in Gujarat is growing at 16 per cent,” he said, adding that “we are reaping fruits for the initiatives we took.”
It is the strength of the six crore Gujaratis that draws people from all over the world, he stressed. -PTI
