As this year marks the 10th edition of Travel + Leisure India & South Asia’s reader’s choice India’s Best Awards, we are elated to introduce IBA Icons—an editorial-led category that felicitates 10 changemakers and trendsetters across hospitality and lifestyle industries. Presenting the Community Tourism Icon, Yeshwant Rao Holkar.
Yeshwant Rao Holkar
Founding Partner, Ahilya Experiences
For Yeshwant Rao Holkar, connecting with the community is at the crux of travelling sustainably, the seeds of which he has sown at Ahilya Fort Hotel in Maheshwar. “When my father (Richard Holkar) converted a section of the fort into a heritage boutique hotel, he embraced the idea of using it as a platform to preserve heritage, promote sustainability, and provide employment,” explains Holkar. Today, the collaborative efforts of the Holkar Cultural Centre and the MP Tourism Department keep this idea alive by running a pilot project for responsible tourism. Think farm-to-fork experiences, training locals in hospitality and sustainable agriculture, organising health camps, etc. “In the 1970s, when my parents began restoring and living in the fort, it became the base from which they worked with Maheshwar’s weavers,” says Holkar. In 1979, the family founded the REHWA Society, which introduced contemporary designs to the Maheshwari handloom craft, while also connecting the artisans to markets that appreciated their work. “Today, REHWA employs over 100 weavers and support staff to produce the finest Maheshwari handloom,” Holkar reveals. His biggest feats include restoring the iconic Ahilyeshwar Chhatri with help from World Monuments Fund. “The 200-year-old structure built in honour of Devi Ahilyabai Holkar can now be enjoyed for generations to come,” shares the IBA Icon.
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Related: IBA Icons 2021: Presenting Rahul Mishra, Sustainable Fashion Icon
