Rajasthan govt plans to develop 23 old airstrips on PPP mode: Tourism Min

The Rajasthan government is planning to develop 23 old airstrips on a public-private partnership mode where chartered and smaller flights can land, Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh said here on Sunday.

Addressing the G20 Tourism Expo in Jaipur, he also exhorted all participants to go back as "ambassadors of Rajasthan tourism".

"Under the guidance and leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, we are planning to put out 23 old airstrips on a PPT (public-private partnership mode) where chartered flights linkage can be provided directly," Singh said.

Singh also holds the portfolio of civil aviation in the state cabinet.

Citing an example of Kishangarh airport, he said that after the operationalisation of flights to this airport, a lot of crowd has got diverted from the main airport.

So, people going to Ajmer or those going for 'ziyarat' are going through Kishangarh airport, the minister said.

When asked about the status of this plan, he said that it was "in the pipeline and, soon, it will be done".

"We plan to give these airstrips on a PPP mode, so investment will be from the private sector. And, we (state) will take a certain percentage of the landing and taking off charges. So, it will enhance connectivity," Singh told PTI.

Asked if these 23 airstrips have been identified, he said that they are all existing ones, including those from the colonial era or those made by former rulers.

In response to another inquiry, he said, the arrangement should be such that chartered flights and smaller flights can land at these airstrips.

The G20 Tourism Expo is being held here by the Ministry of Tourism in association with the Rajasthan tourism department and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

In his address, the tourism minister, also said that "tourism" does not belong to any party whether Congress or the BJP and urged that whenever any fund is to come from the Centre to the state, it should be speedily released.

Singh said that the new Rajasthan rural tourism scheme, approved a few months ago, has many elements which "a lot of states want to copy".

The Rajasthan Cabinet in November approved the Rajasthan Rural Tourism Scheme, 2022, to boost rural tourism and generate employment.

This scheme will create employment opportunities in the villages and protect the handicrafts industry by establishing rural guest houses, agricultural tourism units, camping sites and caravan parks.

At the same time, the scheme will acquaint domestic and foreign tourists with Rajasthan's rural culture.

"This rural tourism policy will generate a lot of employment, put focus on our folklore, rural landscape, wildlife, cultural and heritage sites there, and religious sites, beyond the oft-talked about sites," Singh said.

The event was also attended by delegates from G20 member countries like -- Italy, Turkiye, Australia, and Germany.

The Ambassador of South Korea to India, Chang Jae-bok, was also present on the occasion.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant was also scheduled to attend the event, but could not make it, a senior official said.

The G20 Tourism Expo is being organised simultaneously with the 12th edition of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB).

GITB, one of the biggest events of inbound tourism in India, is co-organized by the Ministry of Tourism along with the Department of Tourism, the government of Rajasthan and FICCI. It will take place on Sunday evening.

Being held after a gap of three years, GITB will witness over 11,000 B2B meetings of 283 tour operators from 56 countries, including over 150 from G20 countries, with the representatives of tourism boards from 11 states namely Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, apart from Rajasthan along with more than 290 Indian exhibitors, organisers said.