The Gujarat government on Sunday launched the ‘Gujarat Tourism Year 2026-27’ at an event in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, to mark World Tourism Day.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi unveiled the official Gujarat Tourism Year logo and launched the Gujarat Film Shooting Permission Portal.
Sanghavi called for coordinated efforts by hotels, restaurants, tour operators and transport operators to improve the tourist experience. He highlighted cleanliness, health, soft skills and collective participation as key areas for strengthening Gujarat’s tourism sector.
Sports tourism push
As part of its sports tourism strategy, Gujarat will host major international fitness events. HYROX will be held in Gandhinagar from November 26 to 28, with around 10,000 participants, including more than 1,000 international athletes, expected to take part.
An Ironman/Half-Ironman event is also scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad on February 14. The events are expected to attract participants and visitors from India and abroad.
Homestays and international tourists
Under the new homestay policy, facilities will be developed and promoted in 100 selected villages. The initiative will focus on providing modern amenities while preserving traditional architectural features.
The government also announced gap funding for tour operators to attract international tourists to cultural festivals such as Kavant Holi, Uttarayan and Navratri, as well as destinations including Dharoi and Shivrajpur.
The state plans to train 1,000 additional tourist guides to create employment opportunities and improve visitor services.
Film shooting portal launched
The Gujarat Film Shooting Permission Portal will offer a single-window digital system for obtaining permissions and No-Objection Certificates for film shoots. The portal aims to make the process faster and more transparent while promoting Gujarat as a film-shooting destination.
Eight MoUs signed
Eight MoUs were signed during the event covering sports tourism, technology, education and skill development.
The agreements include partnerships between Gujarat Tourism Corporation and HYROX/IRONMAN for sports tourism, BookMyShow for digital ticketing, and institutions including Kutch University, Ahmedabad Management Association, SVNIT, Kaushalya – The Skill University, Tata STRIVE and EDII for skill development and related initiatives.
Several homestay operators and tourist guides were also felicitated as ‘Tourism Champions’. Homestay operator Parth Hadia from Gir Somnath and tourist guide Ketan Giri Goswami from Kutch shared their experiences.
A panel discussion on ‘Hospitality, MICE & Investment’ was also held as part of the World Tourism Day programme.