Ranvijay Singh, senior vice-president of the Federation of Rajasthan Hotels, said festive periods are increasingly becoming magnets for overseas visitors.“Festivals like Holi and Diwali are standout occasions for attracting foreign tourists. March has 2 long weekends and the bookings for the first 15 days are very good,” he said, adding that advance bookings indicate sustained demand throughout the month.Industry stakeholders said that foreign tourist arrivals in Jan and Feb were particularly strong this year compared to earlier seasons. Improved flight connectivity emerged as a key factor behind the uptick in Jaisalmer.Jitendra Singh Rathore, an industry veteran, said Jaisalmer is now connected by air to 5 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, which is paying off in terms of higher tourist inflow. “We hope there are at least 3 flights a week during the summer lean season to keep Jaisalmer accessible and maintain momentum,” he said.

