We took with cabinet some of the prime properties of MTDC under PPP on a 90-year lease. MTDC will be a partner, who we hope will get big hospitality chains to come to Maharashtra.
What other policies were introduced, and are there more in the pipeline?
Beach shack policy was announced to give a proper legal framework, and to identify the sites. We have to ensure that we are preserving the ecological balance, local employment gets priority, and we are doing a lot of dos and don’ts so that they end up facilitating the tourists. The beach shack policy will take off next year; it is permissible under the new Coastal Zone Management Plan that is pending with the ministry of environment for approval. We followed it up with the agro tourism policy.
The current trend is to avoid using public transport and taking shorter vacays. We announced the caravan tourism policy, which will take time to gain momentum, but in a couple of years it will take off and be as popular as it is in the west; we have caravan parking bases as a part of the policy. Caravans can tie up with hotels for parking. MTDC can collaborate with any caravan operator, and resorts with open spaces can also be used for caravan parking. We are working on four-five new policies, like adventure tourism, event MICE which is a lucrative part of the tourism industry, getting more MICE events into the state.
Sustainable tourism also has been a big mission, and we are planning to make an announcement on that front soon. We want sustainable and responsible tourism; it should not only be used for revenue purposes but also for empowerment. Then there are vacation home rentals. That is the new USP for Maharashtra. Almost 8000 rooms are available, which are not part of hotels. Maharashtra is set to attract investments in a big way in the tourism sector post Covid crisis.
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