-Mahavir Pratap Sharma
Rajasthan is a land of endless stories written in the sands of time, in the ranges of the Aravalli’s, going from one city to the other, from one story teller to the other, from one creator to the other, from one Havelli to the other, from one Palace to the other and from one Fort to the other.
The impact of the sheer architectural delight and the ruggedness of the forts and palaces, coupled with extensive cultural mix of Clothes, Jewellery, Crafts, Food, Music, Dance, Art, Sand-Dunes, Lakes, Wildlife and tons of beliefs and stories of valour and beauty, make Rajasthan an unbeatable and unmatched cocktail that is hard to duplicate or resist for people of all ages and ethnicities.
While it is important to realize and give credit to all that was given to us over centuries, we also need to give due credit to the people who saw and realized the importance of all of this, and not only helped conserve this but also had the farsightedness of an entrepreneur to brand it and collectively market it. The tourism, travel and the event industry owe it a handful of them who in the mid-Eighties got together and made people realize that, there is a business opportunity for all, which can be achieved by preserving, conserving and investing in the rich architectural and cultural heritage of Rajasthan.
And rest as they say is history, not only were we able to conserve and preserve, but also many new infrastructures and properties were created around the same theme. Entrepreneurs and creative industry got together and re-packaged and re-branded the entire list of cultural elements, listed above, that Rajasthan had. Now we have the best of the infrastructure which is both modern and yet inspired by the history that draws everyone to Rajasthan. This has taken Rajasthan and specially the Weddings in Rajasthan to newer heights and made it amongst the World’s top 10 wedding destination.
In addition to all of the above what also goes in Rajasthan’s favor are many other things, from ease of getting to its major cities by road, rail or air; the availability of venues and hotels for all budgets and sizes; the beautiful weather during winters, which is the major wedding season; availability of artisans and performers of all types locally; and the planners to deliver what needs to be delivered to enhance the already existent structures.
It would be unfair not to mention the icons that were or are now in place that contribute immensely to attracting people to Rajasthan; “the City palace in Jaipur and Udaipur, Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur, Nahargarh and Jaigarh fort in Jaipur, safari and jungles of Sawai Madhopur, the beautiful Haveli’s of Shekhawati, the Sand-dunes of Jaisalmer and Bikaner; and great hotels like the Rambagh Palace, the Jai Mahal Palace, the Fairmont, the JW Marriott, the Raj Vilas and the Fort Bishangarh Alilla in Jaipur; the Udai Vilas, the Leela and the Lake palace in Udaipur; and the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur and the Suryagarh in Jaisalmer.”
The road ahead though looks great and while it continues to invite people to have their weddings, conferences, retreats, exhibits, a word of caution for all the stake holders of the industry:
- While the going is good and the demand is consistent, don’t over price yourself in comparison to other destinations.
- Over supply with too many players coming into play will not only bring the price down but will possibly bring the quality down, due to pressure to sell cheap.
- Air connectivity specially post the debacle of an airline and other airlines trying to keep prices high due to short supply will drive people away and will play a role on the overall consideration of a destination.
- Lack of revenue in the off season and high overheads cutting through bottom lines will put stress on pricing during season or for a few days. Hence, we need to get sustainable business round the year and need to create events around that time.
Grandeur, Royalty, Opulence, Ornate, Classy, Minimalistic, Subtle or Over the top; no matter what your choice is, Rajasthan has the wherewithal to make it happen, and will continue to do so..
