From Salty marshland to an Iconic destination of the Western Indian Subcontinent – Dhordo, in the Rann of Kutch, has become the face of Gujarat’s development. Tourism has projected this formerly nondescript village onto the world tourism map.  

 The village must be commended for its achievements especially considering that it faces environmental and geographic extremities making development in the  area extremely challenging. Coupled with these hardships, the Bhuj earthquake of 2001, devastated this village even more. 

The initiative of using tourism as a key device to showcase what otherwise has been impeding the general development of the locality has worked wonders. Tourism was launched through Rann Utsav, a four-month festival whereby a special tent city was created in the desertic land with all the necessary amenities made available to tourists. It is during these four months that the village comes to life displaying all the natural and cultural resources/products to its consumers. The economy is growing because the products are promoted nationally and internationally, and consumers are eager to engage with the resources as much as they want to learn the art of making them. 

 The local natural and cultural resources are critical hence why both community and government have taken the initiative to conserve and sustainably use its limited resources. The state initiated the Heritage Tourism Policy that promotes conservation of old properties through PPP; the Gujarat Tourism Policy, which allows financial incentives for investors towards constructing Bhungas as lodgings.