Tourists visiting Gujarat’s major attractions will have to wait for any relaxation in the state’s prohibition rules, as the government has put plans to allow liquor at key tourist destinations on hold.Proposals to relax prohibition rules at places such as the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Dhordo in the Rann of Kutch and Gir National Park were being considered by the state government.
However, with the Gujarat Assembly elections due next year, the government has decided not to move ahead with the proposal for now.A senior government official said GIFT City was treated differently because it is an international financial and business hub with foreign companies and global business activity. The relaxation of liquor rules there was aimed at supporting the needs of the international business community.
The hospitality and tourism industry has been demanding similar relaxation at major tourist destinations, arguing that allowing liquor would make Gujarat more attractive to international visitors. However, the government is currently reluctant to take a wider decision on the issue.The proposal could be reconsidered when Gujarat hosts a major international event, such as the Commonwealth Games.
The GIFT City experiment has also strengthened the tourism industry’s demand. Liquor sales at GIFT City increased nearly 15 times in one year after the rules were relaxed. Government data shows that more than 56,000 litres of liquor were sold between July 2025 and July 2026, compared with over 3,500 litres in the previous year.
The state government earned around Rs 87 lakh in revenue from liquor sales at GIFT City. Wine-and-dine facilities were permitted there in December last year.Meanwhile, Gujarat is promoting itself as a destination for weddings under its ‘Wed in Gujarat’ campaign.
The hospitality industry has also sought group permits for alcohol at such events, but no decision has been taken yet.For now, the prohibition policy remains unchanged across the rest of Gujarat.