Gujarat to promote kite festival as prominent tourism event

Although the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) has been organising the international kite festival in Ahmedabad for the past 15 years, it has come into sharp focus this year as one of the major events to promote tourism in the state.

For the first time, a record number of Indian and foreign kite flyers have participated in the event and the government has stated that this festival will be promoted in a big way every year.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Vibrant Gujarat Uttarayan 2004, chief minister Narendra Modi said, "A lot of our friends have contributed in their own way towards the kite festival that is held in Ahmedabad for the past few years now and their efforts must be appreciated. This year round though, we have given it an altogether different dimension. I believe that from now on, the kite festival in Ahmedabad will truly be an international event."

This concept also fits into the policy framework of the new tourism policy announced recently by the government of Gujarat, which stresses on event-based tourism.

With a very large number of non-resident Gujaratis known to return to Gujarat for Navratri and Uttarayan (the kite festival), the state government has already organised the Navratri festival and Uttarayan in a big way.

While the Vibrant Gujarat-Global Investors' Summit was clubbed with the Navratri festival in September last, this time, the state government has clubbed the kite festival with the 'Vishwa Gujarati Privaar Mahotsav'.

From the number of participants at this year's kite festival, it seems that the event has indeed been marketed well.

For the first time ever, there have been as many as 66 participants from countries, including Israel, China, Korea, Malaysia, the US, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Netherlands, Brazil, England, Singapore, Australia, Cambodia and Chile.

For the first time, women also have participated in the festival that is held every year at the police stadium in Ahmedabad. This year has also witnessed the highest number of Indian participants.

Minister of state for tourism Anil Patel said, "The government really did not have to spend anything as the entire three-day event, along with the kite festival, was sponsored by Essar group. The government will explore the possibilities of more such tie-ups with industries."

Patel said Navratri, along with Uttarayan, will continue to be promoted as the two biggest event-based tourist attractions.

Uttarayan is among the most popular festivals of the state with most of the people spending two days on rooftops flying kites.

After the day-long seminars, exhibitions and one-to-one-business meetings, the visiting NRGs will witness kite flying in different cities of the state on January 14.