Once a week, the Marusagar Express chugs past the dry deserts of Rajasthan, through the dark tunnels along the Konkan tracks and whistles out into the lush greens of Kerala. Every week this train bridges the gap between the desert and the sea, something the Rajasthan tourism industry now hopes to cash in on.The state has decided to piggyback on the Kerala success story. Earlier this month the Rajasthan Tourism Department signed a MoU with the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).‘‘The aim is to create synergies between two different regions,’’ explains Rajasthan tourism secretary Arvind Mayaram. ‘‘We want to promote the concept of the best of India series, providing international tourists a total package and also encourage domestic tourists to visit either state.’’An idea that took birth down south, in the enterprising offices of KTDC. Kerala’s tourism secretary Alkesh Sharma, who belongs to Jaipur, did the rounds in Rajasthan, convincing officials that combining a boat ride through the backwaters with a camel safari in the desert would find many takers.The MoU has come at a time when Rajasthan is looking for ways to promote itself as a unique holiday destination. An attempt to revamp the entire sector was initiated two years back. ‘Resurgent Rajasthan, Mission Tourism’ became the punchline and the Rajiv Gandhi Mission on Tourism Development was constituted.The mission outlined 10 goals, complete with deadlines, which have now come and gone. Admitting that they were behind schedule, Mayaram says: ‘‘So many things happened since then. We were hit by global events. Our budgets were slashed because of the drought in the state and things slowed down.’’The dream was to make tourism a ‘‘people’s industry in Rajasthan’’. It’s turning out to be a nightmare. Juggling with numbers, officials admit that they are losing out to competition. While Mayaram insists they haven’t lost out on numbers just on the projection front, in the corridors of the department, officials discuss the crisis in hushed tones.Worried representatives of the tourism industry have repeatedly drawn the government’s attention to the lack of basic infrastructure. Their demands have been simple. Better roads, better connectivity, better water supply and better power supply.General Secretary of the Heritage Hotels Association Randhir Vikram Singh says: ‘‘A tourism policy has been declared but its benefits have not flown down to the industry. There is a policy in place and lots of grand plans but he industry’s basic demands are still not being met.’’While in the backwaters of Kumarakom, Coconut Lagoon’s general manager Subrahmanian P. promises every guest all possible facilities, the private sector in Rajasthan struggles to stay connected. Singh complains that the state didn’t come to the industry’s rescue when it was worst hit after September 11.Besides declining foreign tourists, the state is slowly losing its charm. The kalbeliya dancers, handicrafts and camel fairs are losing out to the well-coordinated tourism teams of states like Uttaranchal and Kerala. While Mayaram exudes confidence and promises a turn around for the industry, a wary Singh says the future is bleak unless it rains incentives this summer.
