Present and absent women steal show at tourism meet

Jaipur: Five women three present and two absent dominated a conference of tour operators that concluded here yesterday.

Federal Tourism Minister Ambika Soni who until not long ago was the second most powerful woman after Sonia Gandhi in the Congress party became a talking point at the annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) when she failed to turn up for unknown reasons.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive meeting kept Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje engaged at Dehradun.

However, it was her younger sister Yashodhara Raje, Tourism Minister of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, who stole the limelight at the show that concluded here yesterday.

She in the bargain left tourism officials of Rajasthan trembling, especially junior minister for tourism Usha Punia. Incidentally, Vasundhara Raje holds the tourism portfolio, making the two sisters vie with each other to make their respective states more attractive for tourists.

The fifth woman in the news was Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil who admired Yashodhara's mesmerising presentation and asked other states to emulate the example of Rajasthan, inarguably the numero uno tourist hub of India. Interestingly, Rajasthan is the only state to have women occupying the top three posts, as the state assembly speaker is also a woman.

But for Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh may have nothing to attract tourists, but that is hardly a deterrent for energetic Yashodhara, who promised a complete turn around within the next one year. To start with, she has managed to get the federal civil aviation ministry to start daily flights between Delhi and Khajuraho from September 15.

Pearls of wisdom: Yashodhara Raje

- How the hell are we going to help you to help us if taxation kills you?

- Tour operators are our ambassadors to the outside world.

- Madhya Pradesh is the heart of 'Incredible India' (the official Indian slogan to promote tourism). And a bit of our heart is here in the form of my sister.

- I received a left-handed compliment form my sister the other day when she called me up and said how come a sleepy state has started selling itself aggressively as a tourist destination and ended up saying that she had forgotten that her little sister was in charge of tourism now.

- I will put all my energies as an athlete into promoting tourism in Madhya Pradesh. I have been in the seat for just seven months. Give me a year and you will see the difference.