Jaipur: Udaipur has emerged as Rajasthan’s preferred destination for the state’s third Travel Mart, after Jaipur and Jodhpur, leaving Kota’s proposal in the Hadoti region on the sidelines.
The decision has raised questions about the state’s tourism promotion strategy, particularly after Kota successfully hosted the inaugural Travel Mart in January, bringing together more than 1,000 tour operators and travel agents from across the country.
The Tourism Department reportedly spent ₹1.18 crore on the Kota event, while a budget allocation of just ₹20 lakh for upcoming plans has sparked concerns over the scale and direction of future tourism initiatives.
Tourism experts have called for a more balanced approach, arguing that the benefits of tourism should reach emerging destinations across Rajasthan rather than remain concentrated in established hubs such as Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer.
With Kota and the wider Hadoti region offering considerable tourism potential, the key question is whether the state will broaden its tourism footprint or continue prioritising destinations that are already firmly on the tourist map.
