With a special focus on attracting new investments in the state’s high priority tourism centres by offering lucrative incentives, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has announced its new Tourism Policy for 2021-2025.

“We want to give more importance on tourism this time, and tourism of world-class. And I am confident that with this policy, Gujarat will be a global choice for tourism,” Rupani said. He added that he wanted amusement parks, like Disneyland, to come to Gujarat.

The new policy, he said, promises special incentives on large-scale tourism projects while aiming to introduce new avenues like caravan tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions) tourism and rural-based experience tourism. Incentives for setting up tourism projects in the state will be applicable to only those projects that come up in the high priority tourism centres identified across 25 districts of the state under the policy, the CM added.

The entire districts of Kutch, Dwarka, Narmada, Gir-Somnath, Porbandar, Junagadh and Dang have been earmarked as high priority centres. In the remaining districts, some talukas have been earmarked as the priority centres.

“In the previous tourism policy, there was a cap of INR 50 crore for getting 15% subsidy of INR 7.5 crore. In this policy, we have removed that cap. We want to give incentives with this open policy,” Rupani said. As per the latest policy, 15% capital subsidy will be given for setting up world-class theme or amusement parks. “In case of capital investment of more than INR 500 crore for setting up a new project, 15% of the eligible capital investment, and if required, land on lease will be provided by the state government,” the policy states. While considering the incentives under the new policy, land prices will not be considered.

Rupani also said the state government wanted big convention centres to be set up in Gujarat to promote MICE tourism and, therefore, convention centres having at least one hall that can accommodate 2,500 people will be given incentives. Fifteen per cent of the total investment for setting up a convention centre will be given as an incentive along with land on lease by the state government, if so required, he added.

Entrepreneurs who start caravan tourism in Gujarat will be given maximum subsidy of Rs 10 lakh, the policy states. For setting up tented/container accommodation at the priority centres, subsidy of 15% of the eligible capital investment will be given.