International brochures were launched to promote key destinations (Diamond Circuit and World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra) at WTM 2022. A delegation from Government of Maharashtra headed by Mangal Prabhat Lodha Minister of Tourism; Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Women &; Child Welfare, Government of Maharashtra, along with key partners attended the World Travel Mart in London, United Kingdom from 7 November to 9 November 2022.
During the three days the delegation met with leading tour operators, travel agents and media partners and showcased the diversity of its tourism products from its cultural and heritage sites, exhilarating adventure experiences to exotic cuisine, wine tourism, agro-tourism, amazing wildlife and pristine beaches.
The state also organised a road show at its stand to showcase its rich diversity and legacy. Tourism sector contributes about 7% of Maharashtra’s GDP and is among the largest employment generation sector in Maharashtra. The state of Maharashtra attracts a large national and international tourist owing to the famous 6 world heritage sites such as Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Ensemble of Art Deco buildings in Mumbai and 4 natural sites as part of the Western Ghats. State of Maharashtra is blessed with 720 km pristine coastline.
Medical tourism is also one of the emerging fields in the last decade. The state has 6 Tiger reserves and 51 wildlife sanctuaries. The Western Ghats along the coastal line of Maharashtra is rich in biodiversity and is attracting many tourists along with many hill stations. The state of Maharashtra has rich cultural heritage in art, music folk dance, forts; and temple architecture, which attracts national and international tourists. Maharashtra has a huge potential in Agriculture and Adventure tourism which is emerging recently. Maharashtra has large number of wineries and gaining popularity in wine industry of India.
Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “Maharashtra is the most economically developed state of India and tourism contributes to 10% of the state’s GDP and has the largest share in state’s employment generation. Maharashtra has the largest network of highways in India and also has the maximum number of domestic and international airports to welcome tourists. Maharashtra as a state has a lot of potential in terms of agriculture tourism, culture tourism, and adventure tourism, which is rare to see in one state. Through WTM, we want to reach out to and welcome international tourists to showcase the various products that the state has to offer. The tourism department is striving to adapt and upgrade the definition of tourism in the state by adopting more sustainable, flexible and inclusive tourism.”
Saurabh Vijay, Secretary, Tourism, Government of Maharashtra talked about the revival steps and safety measures that Maharashtra Tourism have taken to ensure the safety of the travellers. He said, “Post pandemic, Maharashtra issued an exhaustive list of protocols for all the segments of tourism like accommodation units, travel companies, transportation, tour guides, tourists, amusement and water parks. Under SATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness and Training for Hospitality Industry) scheme of Government of India (GoI), more than 400 hotels have registered who are following these COVID appropriate protocols. This means it’s absolutely safe to travel and stay in Maharashtra.”
