Zones to boost tourism
Maharashtra has included a suggestion from the Maharashtra Tour Organisers’ Association in its new tourism policy of dividing the state into zones for better administration.
The Maharashtra Tour Organisers’ Association (MTOA), which focuses on small tour operators based in Maharashtra, has been work- ing very closely with the Maharashtra Government and one of its suggestions on the state’s new tourism policy has been accepted by the state. Sudhir Patil, President, MTOA, says, “We had submitted some suggestions to MTDC for the tourism policy eight months ago. We had requested them to make small region-wise tourism boards like they do in foreign countries because Maharashtra is so vast and we have so many different cultures. Different zones will help the government as well as the travel trade to focus on each particular area and work along with private partners.” The new policy mentions the state being divided into five divisions.
MTOA has also been working closely with the Maharashtra Tourist Development Corporation (MTDC) for the tourist guides scheme it has recently introduced. Explaining the scheme, Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary Tourism & Cultural Affair, Government of Maharashtra, says, “We have been introducing a lot of products for the domestic tourists. They are our mainstay with almost 80 per cent of tourists visiting Maharashtra. We are working on our own certification for city tourist guides ‘ Certified Guides’ that will be certified by MTDC. After that we will introduce it in five other cities in the state like Aurangabad, Nagpur and Nashik. There is a huge scarcity of trained guides, specially German and Japanese speaking ones. The IITM Gwalior which is the authorized agency to make the syllabus and curriculum has developed this course. We have also roped in IHM Dadar to help us with some logistical issues. We will be able to start this by April 2016.”