143 heritage properties have been issued certificates | 19 Apr 2022

Why In News?

On the occasion of World Heritage Day on April 18, 2022, Dr. Rashmi Sharma, Director, Tourism Department of Rajasthan informed that so far 143 heritage properties have been issued certificates by the tourism department.

Key Points

• These heritage properties are very popular with domestic and foreign tourists as destination wedding and film shooting locations, as well as publicity of these properties will be done through the departmental website.
• For the operation of these heritage hotels, many types of benefits, such as conversion fee, excise bar license fee, stamp duty and urban development tax exemption, etc. are being provided by the state government.
• Forts, palaces, havelis, etc. are available in abundance in the form of architectural heritage in the state, most of these antiquities are in private ownership, whose conservation is an urgent need of the present time.
• In order to protect the privately owned heritage properties and promote the use of these properties as heritage hotels and other tourism units, the scheme for grant of heritage certificates was implemented, which was simplified in July 2021 according to the investors.
• More than two-thirds of the heritage hotels operating across the country are in the state of Rajasthan. Heritage certificates are also given to the state properties by the tourism department.
• It is worth mentioning that every year on 18th April, World Heritage Day is celebrated to promote culture and heritage, as well as this day to protect, promote and preserve the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the country and the state. It is celebrated to make people aware, so that people can understand their culture and tradition closely.