Rajasthan govt plans to upgrade facilities in hotels owned by RTDC

The Rajasthan government is going all out to upgrade facilities in hotels owned and run by Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), a company fully owned by the state government.

Recently, chief minister Ashok Gehlot approved Rs 10 crore for the renovation of six hotels of RTDC.

According to the plan, facilities in RTDC hotels, including Gangaur Hotel in Jaipur, Khadim in Ajmer, Kajri in Udaipur, Shikhar Mount in Abu, Forest Lodge in Bharatpur and Tiger Den Hotel in Sariska, are to be expanded.

RTDC, through its marketing network in India and abroad, plays a vital role in promoting tourism in the state. Tourism is a good income generator for the state’s economy.

According to travel industry pundits, forts and palaces, heritage art and culture as well as good air, rail and road connectivity attract tourists to Rajasthan. And, on average, 20-25 million tourists from India and abroad visit the state every year.

Besides RTDC hotels, the government of Rajasthan has also upgraded facilities on luxury train Palace on Wheels.

RTDC along with Indian Railways launched India’s first luxury train Palace on Wheels on January 26, 1982. This luxury train has 14 guest coaches each having a different decorative style.

The train is expected to hit the tracks by the second week of October. This is after a gap of almost two years due to Covid. 

RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore said that Palace on Wheels is well-known worldwide and the corporation is making serious efforts to run it again.

The shooting of a Bollywood film is also being planned on the train sometime next month, sources said.

Rathore said that the train is expected to be run on the operation and maintenance (O&M) model between Indian Railway and the corporation.

Besides, it has also been planned to halt the train at Bundi and other tourist spots.

The train leaves New Delhi and comes back covering Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur Ghana bird sanctuary and Agra. 

Around 70 per cent of passengers, who travel on this train, are from Europe and America.