when Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, better known by his acronym JRD, as the Chairman of Tata Group, decided to sign on the proverbial dotted line to accept Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur on a long-term lease management for Taj Hotels from the former Royal Family of Mewar.
a cultural hub, an exclusive venue where Bombay’s elite, who celebrated their personal and corporate ceremonies. Now, in 1971, the Tata Group Chairman took a bold decision to make the first move to Udaipur, a sleepy heritage-city which did not even have regular air linkages with Bombay or Delhi!Taj Lake Palace is a legendary icon of Udaipur. IHCL restored it sensitively to preserve its timeless elegance and its unique history, while blending it with the conveniences of modern luxury. We are delighted to have this long standing and successful relationship with the custodians of Indian hospitality. My family and I look forward to this continued association and enhancing the region’s tremendous tourism potential,” he said.On the contribution of tourism and allied industries to the city of Udaipur’s economy, while there is no comprehensive validated data, industry experts in 2022 put the figure at Rs 5,000 crores or approximately US$ 700 million.
Almost 30 per cent of the population is directly impacted by tourism, making it 30,000 families through informed estimates.
In January 2022, the number of daily air flights to Udaipur were 15; with air passengers almost touching the 1 million-mark in the pre-Covid era.