Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is planning to recognise, develop and encourage 25 spots in the state that includes beaches, valleys, mountains, cultural and heritage sites. The virgin Konkan belt, coastlines of Sindhudurg and the state capital, Mumbai, will be amongst the 25 spots. After identifying the other places, a hub and model will be created for appealing the visitors.
Under this model, three important hubs like Mumbai, Aurangabad and Nagpur will be recognised and attractions surrounding these hubs will be encouraged. A business survey exhibited that one traveller can generate jobs for 16 people. Few measures are being undertaken by the MTDC to offer a more holistic experience to the visitors and create employment prospects for the local communities.
Wine tourism in Nashik and wellness tourism in Igatpuri is gaining huge favour among travellers. Speaking about possibilites of similar plans, Vijay Kumar Gautam, principal secretary and MD, MTDC said, “Our focus now is on making Maharashtra the first-choice medical tourism centre because of its cost-effective treatment as compared to other countries across the world. Our aim is to offer best hospitals, medical services and infrastructure in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and other centres to attract the medical travellers around the globe.”
Discussing about the possibilites of Junnar as a tourist destination, Gautam adds, “Junnar has a rich legacy of several dams, temples, caves, forts, forests and wildlife. MTDC has decided to make Junnar tehsil a tourist destination and has sent the proposal accordingly. Pune district officials will assist MTDC to take forward this initiative. The proposal to develop Junnar as a tourist destination will generate job opportunities for the local communities and develop infrastructure facilities.”
When it comes to promoting the new 25 spots and the upcoming tourism hubs, the new airports in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri will prove to be a great facilitator in connecting travellers to these underserved regions. MTDC will also market these spots through social media platforms and associate with flying partners like Jet Airways and Etihad Airways, hospitality partner like Airbnb, transportation partner like Ola and many more to create the visibility of these destinations.
“The state government will develop travel plans in collaboration with MTDC and the private entities to promote these destinations. Presently, 197 travel and tour operators are registered with MTDC across the state. Once the 25 spots are finalised they can use these hubs and models to widen their itineraries to fascinate visitors in the state, “ adds Gautam.
The state is also planning to finalise a first-ever comprehensive tourism development strategy to appeal domestic and foreign visitors to Mumbai. The estimated cost of the plan is Rs 676 crores. MTDC has requested the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to send the proposal to the state for its evaluation and execution.