TravTalk India Online Magazine
The state aims to tap overseas markets by promoting products that appeal to them, such as wildlife, heritage, and cruises. Its World Heritage sites and Tadoba National Park, known for its tigers, are already popular in the European travel community.
Hazel Jain
Dilip Gawade, IAS, Director of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, was recently part of a ministry delegation that visited The Netherlands and Belgium for a roadshow to meet about 50 local tour operators. The three-city visit was organised in September 2019 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to promote the country. The delegation visited the cities of Amsterdam, Brussels, and Antwerp.
Speaking about the targeted approach his department is taking to attract international tourists, Gawade says, “We educated tour operators about specific products that Maharashtra has to offer that we think will appeal to them. They showed interest in wildlife tourism here, particularly Tadoba National Park that is famous for its tigers. They were also keen on our UNESCO heritage sites of Ajanta Ellora, the second- largest crater of Lonar, and the Sahyadri hills which is also a UNESCO site. The operators specifically inquired about trekking here. Even scuba-diving Tarkali beach in Sindhudurg was an exciting proposition for them. We have invited them for a hosted familiarisation trip to the state.”
Tour operators show interest in Ajanta Ellora, the crater of Lonar, the Sahyadri hills, even scuba-diving at Tarkali beach in Sindhudurg
He added that his team will be attending international shows including WTM London where they have booked stall space as well as a hall for a roadshow for which they have invited 50 tour operators from the UK. It will be led by Vinita Vaid Singal, IAS, Secy. (Tourism & Cultural Affairs), Government of Maharashtra, along with two Deputy Directors.
Spots for cruise terminals
At the behest of Sanjay Bhatia, Chairman, Mumbai Port Trust, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, is looking for spots on the state’s coastline that can be developed as a cruise terminal or a jetty. Gawade shared this development and said, “In a meeting with Sanjay Bhatia recently, he said that to further develop cruising from the state, we need to identify some places in Maharashtra which can be used as small cruise terminals in the future. Mumbai is a port and every international cruise today stops only in Mumbai. In the future, we could make them halt at these smaller terminals. So far, we have zeroed in on Malvan in Sindhudurg, Bhagwati Bunder in Ratnagiri, and Dighi in Raigad. Once these are finalised, we can create itineraries around these spots where the cruise passengers can visit on a four to five-hour halt.”
