BEST WISHES FROM
-Priyadarshi Shastri | IMAWS (cbedit@imaws.org)
Kota is not just an educational hub, it is a perfect spot for tourists. With the emergence of new places, hotels and tours, the city is evolved into a favorite destination for tourists in Rajasthan. We got an opportunity to talk to Ashok Maheshwari, President of the Hotel Federation of Rajasthan (Kota division). To learn more about Kota’s hospitality sector. Keep scrolling-
What is the vision of the Kota Hotel Federation, and how does it align with the broader tourism and hospitality goals of Rajasthan?
Kota has all types of tourists i.e. domestic as well as international. Additionally, we noticed that in the past years, we have had a lot of tourists to spiritual places. Shivpuri Dham and Khade Ganesh Ji Mandir attract a lot of people. Apart from this, we have heritage sites like Ramgarh Vishdhari Abhyaran and Chambal river to name a few that have become favourite vacation spots. We consistently work on improving the surrounding area and adding more places to attract more crowds here, locally or domestically. Plus the government is very supportive towards us and our work. We are working hand in hand with the govt to build the Chambal River tour.
What initiatives is the Federation taking to support smaller or budget hotels in Kota to compete with larger hotel chains?
See, a tourist wants all types of hotels be it small or luxury chains depending on their budget. In the past 6 months, tourism in Kota has significantly increased, thus more tourists and more requirements for hotels. We offer additional support to emerging hotels so every guest has a place to stay. Recently we opened 15 new resorts in the area boosting more availability of rooms. Many govt initiatives encourage people to invest in the hospitality sector.
How do you see the hospitality industry in Kota evolving in the next 5-10 years? What key changes do you anticipate?
Not just Kota, Rajasthan as a whole is evolving in hospitality. With Bharatmala expressway, soon we will have better connectivity with other states i.e. 4 hrs from Delhi. Also, we have Kota International Airport coming up, DPR is completed hopefully it will start its operations by 2028. So, as a hotel federation, we have to be prepared to meet the future demands of tourists. We take part in Invest Rajasthan, Mela like Dusshera Mela where we allow local artisan to showcase their talent and attract more tourists. We are planning to invite National Travel Agents (PAN India) with a 5-6-day itinerary where we will take them to explore new vacation spots.
Kota is known for its educational institutions, but what steps can be taken to boost tourism in the region and attract more visitors to the city?
Kota has 1-1.5 lac kids. So, their parents visit them. We consider them as tourists. Wherever they visit they need a place to stay and a tourist spot to explore. Here word-of-mouth publicity plays a huge role in attracting more crowds. Social media is very helpful in promoting the local culture of Rajasthan.
Kota is not just about a coaching centre, it’s a place with mines i.e Kota Stone which is famous globally and a Business centre. This all plays a vital role in attracting domestic tourists.
What trends in the hospitality industry do you see having the most impact on Kota’s hotels—be it in terms of services, customer preferences, or design?
Now guest wants world-class facilities at affordable rates. We aim to entertain all types of guests and offer them luxury with comfort at affordable rates. In the past few years, Rajasthan has emerged as a favourite place for destination weddings. We are developing more places where we can cater to people looking for weddings. We have many heritage sites and havelis that offer a blend of both modern amenities and traditional architectural styles that can be used as wedding spots.
Can you highlight some of the key initiatives that the Kota Hotel Federation has taken in the last year to support its members and the hospitality sector in the region?
Whenever we have a new member we offer them the necessary guidelines and help them to complete their paperwork. Also. we regularly conduct meetings and seminars where we keep all the members with new changes and policies. We conduct training and skill development programs for the staff.
Testimonials
Hadauti Region has a very huge potential in Tourism as this region consists of 2 tiger reserves namely Mukundara Tiger Reserve and Ramgarh Tiger Reserve. Our main focus is to develop these tiger reserves in the next 2 years with the agenda of shifting 9 more tigers, increasing the prey base and opening of more safari routes for tourists. We want to increase tourist facilities near tiger reserves. These 2 tiger reserves creates a tourist circuit with the most famous Ranthambore tiger reserves, new itineraries is also being created along with Ranthambore tiger reserves- Kaushal Bansal, Secretary, Hotel Federation of Rajasthan (Kota City)
“Kota city, which is known for its educational institutions and industrial units, is now emerging as an important tourist destination. With attractive and historical places like Khadi Ganesh Ji Temple, Mathuradhish Temple, Mukundra Tiger Reserve, Chambal River Front, Oxygen City Park, Seven Wonders, Gardia Mahadev, Chambal River Safari, Abheda Biological Park, Geparnath, Chattaneshwar, Umaid Bhawan, huge gates of the fort and Maharao Madho Singh Museum, Kota has a lot to offer to the tourists. Due to the connectivity of Bharat Mala Highway around Kota city, the distance and time of travel between Delhi and Mumbai has reduced considerably. The Hotel Federation of Rajasthan is constantly working to make it a tourist circuit by coordinating with the state government. In this circuit, an effort will be made to show the beautiful places of Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar to the tourists together.”- Sandeep Padia General Secretary Hotel Fedration of Rajasthan (Kota Division).
In the prestigious guidance of Mr Ashok Ji Maheshwari the Federation is regularly in contact with the administration, ministries and many more concerning authorities for the development and tourism fertility. In the meantime, the Federation has done lots of work like exhibitions at the trade fair as well as at the Dusherra fair. The main object of the Federation is to see the Hadoti on the world map. There are so many hidden gems which are neglected by all in the past, but now the government is very keen to promote all these tourist sight scenes like Ramgarh Vishdhari and Mukunda Tiger Reserve on a very high level and the results are very positive. We are very excited about the upcoming Greenfield Fort. This will give a sky limit to the height of tourism in Hadoti. In this new tourism policy launched by the Govt of Rajasthan many of the key features advised by the federation only which was granted by the Rajasthan Government- Pradeep Chandwani Senior Vice president Hotel Federation of Rajasthan (Bundi City)
BEST WISHES
