Jaipur: In line with the tourism dept’s push to take stakeholder engagement beyond Jaipur, preparations have begun for the first Marwar Travel Mart (MTM) in Jodhpur, scheduled for Sept. 20 to 22.The Federation of Hospitality & Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR) has started groundwork following a two-day visit to Jodhpur and the Marwar-Thar region, where stakeholders discussed the event’s framework, promotion strategy, and operational plans.The initiative reflects the dept’s focus on organising tourism events in cities such as Jodhpur and Kota to promote regional destinations and expand tourism outreach across the state.FHTR president Surendra Singh Shahpura said, “The aim is to broaden tourist inflow and open up unexplored destinations in the state. We are inviting leading tour operators and travel agents from across the country to the event.”Tourist inflow data for January-March show that domestic travellers largely visited the state’s major pilgrimage destinations, while international tourists were drawn to its forts, palaces, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and wildlife attractions.“While these destinations will remain popular, tourist numbers can be increased by promoting lesser-known places,” Shahpura added.In Jan this year, the tourism dept supported the Federation of Rajasthan Hotels in organising an exhibition in Kota to promote the Hadauti region, which has significant tourism potential but remains largely untapped.
