Focus on sustainable practices and digital innovation, say panelists at Mumbai First and CityNet webinar

Focussing on innovative methods and techniques to boost Urban Tourism postCovid-19, Mumbai First, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in collaboration with CityNet, an association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, conducted an international webinar on 'Changing face of Urban Tourism Post Covid: Asian experience' on Thursday.

During the webinar including a panel discussion, major points were highlighted such as measures for sustainable tourism, dire need to boost the travel and tourism industry which has been severely hit by the pandemic, ensuring safe tourism post Covid19, encouraging domestic travel and incorporating technological transformation such as virtual tours, travel-friendly apps and digital arenas in the future.

Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said, "We are working on initiating a Sustainable Tourism policy in the next five to six months in Maharashtra in order to create sustainable practices for tourism providers. We have also started new agro tourism policy including open spaces which can serve as a safe technique for tourists post Covid-19 and also enhance sustainable tourism. We are also working on creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) for vacation rental homes where tourists can stay in a safe and secured environment in the future."