The Jaipur Literature Festival started with the government support has a life on its own, similarly the World Music Festival (Udaipur) created a buzz with the support of the government; now has established on its own. So, ten years down the line, is it the time for the Great Indian Travel Bazaar to make a niche of it?
Founded in 2006 and produced by Teamwork Arts from 2008 the Jaipur Literature Festival is described as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth. The past decade has seen it transforming into a global literary phenomenon having hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcoming over a million booklovers from across the globe. In 2014, the JLF spread its wings beyond the borders of India with an annual summer event in London. In 2015, it headed across the pond to Boulder, Colorado where it hosts a similar event every September.
Similarly, the World Music Festival (Also known as Udaipur World Music Festival) is an annual event, conducted every year in February. A festival of immense size and scale features diverse music from different continents and regions. Music lovers belonging to all kinds of background participate in this festival. After three editions the festival has created its own place in this segment.
On the other side, the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (popularly known as GITB), has definitely emerged as one of India’s premier event for the suppliers like hotels, destinations and DMCs among others, to showcase their products and attractiveness to some very influential travel trade buyers from important international source markets.
However, as the show now celebrated its landmark 10th edition, there are industry voices who want the show to grow in rank and profile. The number of foreign buyers have remained in the region of 250-300 for the past many years, and so has the number of exhibitors. And there are stakeholders who believe that the show needs to grow its buyers’ number.
In a recent development the FICCI and Department of Tourism (Rajasthan) have extended their MoU till 2024 after completing the 10 successful years.
So, having a large number of supporters – Hotel Chains or Individual Properties , DMC’s, Tourism Boards and Travel Companies, especially ten years down the line is it the time for GITB to create a niche of it?
While speaking at the inaugural session of 10th edition of The Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB), Chief Minister of the state Vasundhara Raje stated that the role of government is just to support the initiative – taken by the industry stakeholders, up to an extent, and set them free to have their own identity without government labeling.
While addressing the gathering at GITB, the chief minister explained how several tourism related events initiated by industry stakeholders, got government support at the initial stage but created their own brand awareness today.
“The festivals that have been established with the government support few years ago have actually taken life themselves. The Jaipur Literature Festival – this is so popular nowadays; doesn’t require Rajasthan government anymore; and that is the joy about it. Because, we want the festivals not to be labeled with the government but something that the government of Rajasthan has supported, and then allow to fly free,” she added.
The chief minister of the state feels that it is important now to bring more people who understand tourism and who have a fair idea, what that tourism should be. “If the government can partner with people like that to create the buzz that is required, I believe that in its own way, it will be setting tourism free in our state,” believes Vasundhara Raje.
It seems that the government aims to allow its people to use their imagination and create travel events or festivals that are going to be international affairs, and not just government. As the chief minister informed, the government of Rajasthan has partnered with exceptional people to do different things to attract the attention of the discerning travellers.
