Bollywood stars are now endorsing states in a bid to promote tourism

John Abraham with dancers from Arunachal Pradesh after it was announced that he was the brand ambassador of the state PicPraddep DhivarBollywood stars have been lending their faces to sell stuff from soaps to cars to air purifiers for years now As they exert a great deal of influence over the lifestyle choices of the common man brand folk are willing to shell out big moolah to have them on board as brand ambassadors It may be an expensive affair but if it works read sell then the price no longer mattersAlso most stars end up raking in the moolah through their advertisement deals Of late several stars have been endorsing states and countries Though they may not even hail from the region they are being roped in as the face of the place to lure touristsSome may have done the endorsement gratis some for a hefty fee while for the rest there may be a sporting link to the state Heres a crash course on who is endorsing whatPrateik Babbar MaldivesHe may be missing from the Bollywood scene but Smita Patilrsquos son is banking on endorsements He was roped in as goodwill ambassador of the Maldives last month Wonder what is the connect Maybe the relaxed vibe of the island are a reflection of Prateikrsquos personalityAkshay Kumar CanadaMr Khiladi is a Canadian citizen he has a house in Toronto and has stated that Canada is his second home So it is no surprise that the star became the face of its tourism campaign in 2011 Akki has also been a part of the IndoCanadian film Breakaway 2011Priyanka Chopra AssamLast month Priyanka Chopra was embroiled in a controversy after she was roped in as brand ambassador for Assam tourism Reportedly the state government was paying her Rs 15 crore a day to shoot for the campaignPeeCee would pocket a cool Rs 15 crore for a 10day shoot HoweverPrachi Desai GoaThe actress was chosen as the brand ambassador of Goa in 2010 Her lsquomodern avatar and intact traditional valuesrsquo made her the ideal candidate to be the face of the coastal state ldquoIt is a great experience Promoting it came with the responsibility of making it a safe touristfriendly placerdquoDharmendra Hema Malini HaryanaThe couple were appointed brand ambassador of Haryana last year The actor couple will feature in tourism campaigns and their endorsement will help improve tourist inflow in the stateJohn Abraham Arunachal PradeshWhat is halfMalayali halfParsi Johnny boyrsquos link with the countryrsquos north east He owns the North East United Football Club Last week the actor was appointed brand ambassador of Arunachal Pradesh by Joram Beda Tourism Secretary Government of Arunachal Pradesh At the event John said ldquoI am honoured to be chosen to promote the magnificent state I am looking forward to attend the Ziro Festival of Music which is slated for later this monthrdquo The star is also keen that filmmakers have Arunachal as the backdrop for their projects Vishal Bhardwaj shot for his SaifShahidKangana starrer Rangoon in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this year John added ldquoThe serene beauty of the state will serve as an ideal location for my upcoming venturesrdquoJoram Beda Tourism Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh said ldquoOur focus lies in boosting the tourism sector For its success we found an ideal partner Viacom 18 who helped us get John Abraham who over the years had played a vital role in promoting the north east primarily by putting NEUFC on the maprdquoShah Rukh Khan BengalHe hails from Delhi and now Mumbai is home Yet King Khanrsquos connect with Bengal is as the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team Though he has a busy date diary Shah Rukh is scheduled to shoot commercials for the promotion of tourism later this yearIrrfan Khan RajasthanThe versatile actor has a connect with Rajasthan He was born in Jaipur and lived in the Pink City till he moved to the National School of Drama in New Delhi Last year the actor shot for a campaign to promote the Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership SummitAjay Devgn and Kajol Andhra PradeshThe actor couple had visited Andhra Pradesh in April this year over a business proposal The state offered requested them to be brand ambassadors for the state but they reportedly opted out due to lack of professional approachAnusha Dandekar ThailandThe singer and former MTV VJ was appointed brand ambassador of Thailand in a bid to attract more allgirls trip Thanks to its beaches spas and bargain shopping Thailand is a favourite holiday destination for many especially women Surveys prove that 30 per cent of Indian travellers to Thailand constitute women They want to double the figure by 2022 Anusha was pencilled in for her deeprooted love for Thailand And also because she symbolises the carefree traveller who loves to have getaways with her girl gang