How a chief minister and a mega star transformed Gujarat tourism

Gujarat is now considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. The turning point in the story of Gujarat tourism occurred due to a paradigm shift, initiated by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. I vividly remember the vision laid out by him in 2009, when I called on him soon after taking over as Secretary of Tourism, Gujarat. The CM passionately narrated his experiences during his extensive travels in the state in his years as a party worker. Gujarat always had everything – a long coastline with pristine beaches, revered temples like Somnath, Dwarka, Pavagadh and Ambaji, dense forests including the Gir National Park, the only place where the Asiatic lion is extant and so much more. How come we haven’t been able to tap this vast treasure he asked.

The mandate was loud and clear — we had to do something substantial to bring about quantum growth in the sector. The CM had a clear vision — tourism was not merely a means to showcase the state but was to be an agent of change to bring about prosperity to the doorsteps of the people.

As luck would have it, around the same time, Amitabh Bachchan visited Gujarat for a special screening of his critically acclaimed film, Paa. During dinner, after the screening, the CM spoke eloquently about Gujarat and its tourist treasures and asked Amitabh Bachchan whether he would become the Brand Ambassador for Gujarat Tourism. Till that time, no other state had thought of roping in a big celebrity to promote its tourist spots. He graciously agreed to do so without charging a fee.

It was to be a tourism-centric, non-political campaign, named ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’.

During the making of the films, the CM held several rounds of discussions with the creative team and gave his input about the destinations, culture, history and heritage of the places being filmed.

On the first day, the shooting started at Kirti Mandir, Gandhiji’s birthplace at Porbandar, on a hot summer afternoon in 42 degrees temperature. CM Modi was much concerned about the heat. He especially told us to take care of the health and safety of Amitabh Bachchan and the team.

When the campaign was finally released, it became an instant hit. Soon, we followed up with another set of films covering other tourist destinations, festivals, handicrafts and several other aspects. A total of 22 films were shot in three schedules of the shoot.

The result was spectacular. Suddenly, the hidden treasures of Gujarat were unveiled to travellers from across India and abroad. The growth in tourism was phenomenal and path-breaking. There were thousands of prosperous Gujaratis living in metro cities or abroad who had not yet seen Gujarat, despite being the most prolific travellers. Now they started exploring their own state.

Before I end, I am reminded of an interesting incident. In 2013, we had gone to the White Rann of Kutch with Mr Bachchan and the team. It was our second visit to the same location, Dhordo, after a gap of three years, since the campaign was first released. Dhordo is a small village near the border, almost entirely inhabited by the minority community. As we were winding up, a large number of rural women in colourful Kutchi attire from Dhordo village came to see Amitabh Bachchan outside his tent. They looked blissfully happy as they stood folding their hands to greet us. Then, an old woman spoke in the Kutchi language, which was translated by the village sarpanch Miyan Hussain. She said, Earlier for generations, our daughters could not marry outside this taluka. We were poor. No cultivation. No rains. But this year we could marry our daughters to more developed towns in far-off places such as Rajkot and even Mumbai, with so much money that tourists bring in”. Bachchan was deeply touched. ‘Khushbu Gujarat Ki’ had literally transformed their lives in a matter of three years, in a region that had been arid and infertile for centuries. Such is the strength of tourism.

The writer is an IAS officer and a novelist. He was earlier Principal Secretary, Tourism, Gujarat. Views are personal