Whether it is for the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, fashion shows organised inside regal hotels and palaces or the Silver Jubilee edition of IIFA, everyone, everywhere has been talking about Rajasthan for one thing or the other. While the state’s tourism industry has kickstarted this year on a great note, the Rajasthan government is resolute to keep at it and expand their state as a hub for concert, entertainment, and leisure tourism in the coming years.
While interacting with the reporters at IIFA 2025, Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Princess Diya Kumari mentioned how Rajasthan wants to tap into the concept of “concert tourism” that has created ground in the country over the past few months.
“We will now try to promote tourism in the state by organising huge live events that will encourage people to fly down to Rajasthan, not just from across the country but from the rest of the world too,” said Kumari to ANI. Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal Sharma also mentioned that the state is home to 75 per cent of the country’s heritage properties.
“Rajasthan has played host to numerous destination weddings, movie shoots, and such live events. We aim to make situations fitting and inviting for more such things to take place on the state’s soil,” added Sharma.
This was the second time in 25 years that the IIFA awards were organised in India. The first was in Mumbai during the pandemic. People from different parts of the country and the world flew down to Jaipur to attend the star-studded event on March 8 and March 9, this year.
Ranga Narasimhan and his wife Nehal Patel who live in Andover, Massachusetts decided to plan their annual India trip around the IIFA Awards in Jaipur. "I had first visited the city last year when I was introduced to the warm hospitality and manwar of Rajasthan and I fell in love," said Narasimhan in an exclusive interview with Outlook Traveller.
He was quite amazed by the "mind blowing" organisation of the awards. "I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was unreal. While stars come in and perform each year, what stood out for me was the organisers' emphasis on environmental sustainability through the Challenge for Green and IIFA 25 Garden initiative. They have done an incredible job," he added.
He also lauded the government and administration for organising such events that make them come back to the city.
Through these events, the administration and government is not just emphasising on tourism, but also attempting to push the state’s rich arts and crafts and expanding employment opportunities across many fields.
“Everything ranging from large open spaces, hotels, and great connectivity are crucial to promoting concert tourism are available in the state,” said Secretary and Commissioner, Tourism (Rajasthan), Ravi Jain.
He also mentioned that organising one huge event also encourages more people to choose the state as a location. “This generates employment across fields related to hospitality and tourism, and also serves as a great push for the state’s local arts and crafts,” Jain added.
Jain also claimed that the Rajasthan government is trying to ensure ease of business in the state to promote more people to invest. They are also devising policies to promote the hotel industry in the state.
Other than IIFA, concerts by many celebrated artists including Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Aujla, Prateek Kuhad, and Arijit Singh were organised in Jaipur. This invited many music enthusiasts to the city to attend these events.
Between January 15 and March 14, this year—which is considered to be an auspicious period for Hindu weddings—65,000 to 70,000 weddings were expected to be organised in the state. A considerable percentage of these are destination weddings.
The Magnetic Fields Festival is another annual event organised at the Alsisar Mahal in Rajasthan’s gorgeous and historical Shekhawati district. Last year was the 10th edition of the festival that featured the country’s best and most forward-thinking artists along with some of the world’s best underground music stars. This year, the festival is expected to be organised in December.
Another event that brought fashion enthusiasts, critics, and journalists from across the country was the FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025, organised by the Fashion Design Council of India at Jaipur’s elegant Diggi Palace Hotel. The two-day-long fashion extravaganza was organised on February 15 and February 16, this year.
In an interview with the Outllook Traveller, Jyotika Diggi, owner of the Diggi Palace said, "Today tourism is not restricted to exploring monuments and visiting historical sites. Entertainment options like live shows, concerts, sporting events, and festivals act as major drawcards for tourists today."
She also mentioned that the FDCI Weekend allowed many designers from Jaipur to participate and experience a fillip in their businesses. It also allowed guests to know about the small town of Diggi (where the heritage hotel derives its name) in the Tonk district of Rajasthan.
"Attendees returned home with more information about our state with a desire and determination to visit yet again, and what could be better than that!" Diggi said.
