Ahmedabad UNESCO celebrates World Heritage Week across the world from 19 to 25 November every year to raise awareness about the importance of preserving cultural and historical heritage. In India too, it is organized in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India for historical heritage sites across the country. This year the theme of World Heritage Week 2024 is Exploring and Experiencing Diversity. Historically and culturally rich Gujarat also has many historical heritage sites which remain the first choice of millions of tourists from India and abroad. According to the Tourism Department of Gujarat, more than 21 lakh tourists have visited the major heritage tourist destinations of Gujarat in the year 2023-24.
Historical heritage sites are being equipped with tourism facilities at a cost of more than Rs 428 crore.
To make the historical heritage sites attractive and convenient for tourists, the Gujarat government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has initiated various development works at a cost of more than ₹428 crore. Not only this, the Gujarat government is also running many attractive activities like light and show in these heritage sites under the concept of night tourism, which is being liked very much by the tourists from India and abroad.
Maximum tourism friendly facilities are being developed in Vadnagar and Dholavira at a cost of ₹ 255 crore.
Vadnagar is a historical heritage site as well as the birthplace of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Understanding the historical and cultural importance of Vadnagar, the Gujarat government has developed many basic and modern tourism facilities here by spending ₹ 70 crore in the last three years. Talking about the continuously increasing number of tourists here, while only 2 lakh 45 thousand tourists visited it in the year 2022-23, this number has increased almost three times to about 7 lakh in 2023-24.
Similarly, Dholavira is also a famous World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO. It bears the identity of the Indus Valley Civilization. The state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has planned to develop various tourism facilities here at a cost of ₹185 crore. Under Phase 1, development work worth ₹76 crore is currently in progress. After the development of these tourist facilities, an even greater increase in the number of tourists will be seen here. In the year 2022-23, 1 lakh 41 thousand tourists visited here, whereas in 2023-24, the number more than doubled to more than 2 lakh 32 thousand tourists came to visit Dholavira.
Modhera, Rani ki Vav, and Adalaj ki Vav are also becoming the choice of tourists.
Some other heritage sites of the state like Sun Temple of Modhera, Rani Ki Vav and Adalaj Ki Vav are also becoming the first choice of millions of tourists. The state government has also developed various tourism facilities here by spending ₹20 crore, ₹18 crore and ₹5 crore respectively. This is the reason why there has been an increase in the number of tourists here as compared to last year. In 2022-23, the number of tourists here was 3 lakh 78 thousand, 3 lakh 52 thousand, 3 lakh 72 thousand respectively, whereas in 2023-24 this number has been 3 lakh 81 thousand, 3 lakh 83 thousand, and 3 lakh 86 thousand respectively. Apart from this, the state government is also paying special attention to the restoration of many historical forts of the state. For example, the restoration work of Uparkot Fort in Junagadh has been completed at a cost of ₹74 crore. At the same time, restoration of the palace of Amreli is also being done at a cost of ₹ 21 crore. And similarly, restoration of Lakhpat Fort has also been planned at a cost of ₹25 crore.
Many development works are also going on in India’s best tourism heritage village – Hafeshwar.
Hafeshwar village of Gujarat has been awarded the Best Tourism Village in the heritage category by the Government of India on the World Tourism Day in the year 2024. To make the experiences of the tourists coming here memorable forever, the state government is going to develop various tourist facilities here at a cost of ₹ 10 crore.
Gujarat’s heritage site tourism is moving towards a new direction
These efforts of the Gujarat government are important steps towards giving global recognition to the state’s heritage sites and promoting tourism. These facilities will not only provide a better experience to the tourists but will also contribute to the economic development of the state. With this new era of heritage tourism in Gujarat, it is expected that the state will soon make a special mark among the major heritage tourism destinations of the country as well as the world.