Interview with S J Haider, Principal Secretary of Gujarat’s tourism

Media India Group attended the Navratri Festival 2016 at Ahmedabad in India’s western-most state, Gujarat. MIG interacted with the state’s tourism board’s principal secretary, S J Haider, who spoke on the fanfare of the Navratri festival and on the number of tourists it draws.

Haider shared the strategies of the board to attract more tourists to the state, notably by means of eco-tourism and also medical, heritage, spiritual, wildlife, adventure and cruise tourism. Components of sustainable development and inclusive growth as well as environment-friendly tourism are also part of the package, with subsidies like exemptions in luxury and entertainment tax and incentivising of innovative projects in the queue.

With intentions of bolstering the local economy and increasing employability here, the government is aiming to realise the complete potential of Gujarat’s tourism industry.