Udaipur Tourism

Tourism has been highly touted as a route to the Development of a city or environment. It professes to bring much-needed revenue and employment to the inhabitants of the place, while simultaneously claiming to preserve its cultural, historical, or natural ‘attractions’. These arguments are currently being used by the Rajasthan Government in its mission to expand tourism in the state (an estimated expenditure of nearly Rs.1,200 crore). Because Udaipur and its surrounding villages are targets within this development plan, it is relevant and pressing to consider the influence these new policies/plans will have on the people of Udaipur, their economy, environment, culture and social relationships. The following background paper seeks to bring out critical points from the Rajiv Gandhi Tourism Development Mission for Rajasthan (the most current proposal on tourism development in Rajasthan), as well as to highlight pertinent information about tourism. This article can be used as a starting point, from which to generate critical and creative ideas for the further exploration of tourism. The Plans of the Rajasthan Government
Annexure B in the Tourism Development Mission lists eight areas for which the growth of tourism in Rajasthan is important:
1. Employment Generation
2. Poverty Alleviation
3. Empowerment of Women
4. Survival of Rural Artists
5. Upliftment of Rural Artists
6. Improvement in Urban and Rural Infrastructure
7. Better Image, Quality of Life & Attitude of People
8. Revival of Traditions and Heritage Conservation & Management
9.
These points form the comprehensive plan to uplift and empower the people of Rajasthan through an economy based in tourism – the largest growing industry in the world.[1] This plan seeks to include urban and rural areas, as well as women, in increasing incomes, improving infrastructure, and encouraging full-spectrum participation. From this list, we