The other 'Big B' of Gujarat tourism

AHMEDABAD: The 'Big B' push for Gujarat tourism does not refer only to Amitabh Bachchan, the state's magnet to attract travellers. It also refers to 'big budget' ad spends, tripping even neighbouring Madhya Pradesh - the other big-spender in tourism.
Since 2009, an aggressive Gujarat has seen a fivefold increase in its budget for tourism promotion. The state had allocated just Rs 10 crore for promotional activities before the 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' campaign kicked off in October 2010.The tourism department is hoping to spend around Rs 55 crore by March 2013. Last year, the state government had set aside just Rs 2.5 crore in the budget just for promotion.
The Gir sanctuary has benefited from the splurge, seeing a 30% jump in tourists in two years. The Rannotsav festival in Kutch and the pilgrim sites of Somnath and Dwarka too have become major draws. "We have been advertising widely not only on television and radio but also in on-flight magazines of prominent international airlines. In the last two years, there has been a flow of nearly 54 lakh tourists to Gujarat, which is an achievement," said principal secretary, tourism, Vipul Mitra.
In stark contract, the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) has increased its budget by just Rs 7 crore in the promotional activities this year. "We have been allocated Rs 25 crore for advertisements and promotional activities for the existing year. Last year it was around Rs 18 crore," said the corporation's chief general manager (operations and marketing), Om Vijay Choudhary. There are no separate funds for television promos and social networking sites. Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TGCL) officials say they are spending the maximum within the country. The corporation will also organize road shows across the country and take part in trade fairs.
With inputs from Ankur Sirothia in Bhopal