The Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has set a target to make Punjab an international tourist destination by the year 2030. The government will also preserve rich culture, art and heritage of the state.
Currently, a huge number of tourists visit various cities of Punjab including Amritsar, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib. Now, the Punjab Government has made a plan to bring rest of the cities of the state in the map of tourists. Bringing other cities in the tourist map will provide new opportunities of employment to the youth of the state. In order to achieve this goal, the Punjab Government’s Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has organised multiple fairs and festivals in the state. Throughout the year, a total of 24 fairs will be organised in the state.
Several fairs will be organised including Madhi Mahotsav in Sri Muktsar Sahib, Kapurthala Heritage Festival and Kila Raipur Rural Olympics in Ludhiana, Heritage Festival and Patiala Heritage Festival and more.
Various heritage fairs have already been celebrated, including Baba Sheikh Farid Aagaman in Faridkot, Hari Singh Nalwa Josh Mahotsav in Gurdaspur and Chhinj Mela in Tarn Taran.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Our government will leave no stone unturned to promote Punjab as a world tourist destination. The rich and glorious heritage of Punjabis has attracted people for centuries. Every inch of Punjab's land has been touched by the feet of Gurus, Pirs-Faqirs, martyrs and poets. About one lakh devotees come to Amritsar every day for darshan. Now the state government is focusing on highlighting the special aspects of other places in Punjab. Every village in Punjab has memorials of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country before and after independence, which needs to be told to the world. Punjab is also a land blessed from the geographical point of view. The state government wishes to take the tourism sector to new heights. No stone will be left unturned in this great task aimed at the progress and prosperity of the state and its people.”
The Punjab government will also launch a tourism police scheme to make sure that the tourists are safe in the state. This scheme will initially get started in Amritsar as a pilot project. The employees of this unit will have special uniforms so that tourists can recognize them clearly from a distance.