Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) celebrated ‘World Tourism Day 2016’ with UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) with this year’s theme being “Tourism for All -Promoting Universal Accessibility”. MTDC organised various initiatives to highlight tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value of the state. For the first time the World Tourism day celebrations of MTDC were recognised by UNWTO Madrid. An array of programmes had been planned by MTDC at Mumbai Head office and regional offices at Aurangabad, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Ratnagiri, Nasik and Amravati.
MTDC felicitated tourists arriving at resorts, regional offices, airport, tourist destinations, railway stations, tourist informative counters etc across areas where MTDC is present with a traditional welcome and also provided information kit. This also included Aukshan, tying of turban and flowers being given by MTDC employees and display of UNWTO theme banner on all MTDC properties throughout the state. MTDC in association with Raconteur Walks, Mumbai also organised a Heritage walk of South Mumbai for the enthusiasts who registered, along with KH Govind Raj, Managing Director, MTDC; Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, MTDC and Senior Tourism officials.
On World Tourism Day, MTDC also hosted an ‘Experiential Tourism Conclave’ at Jai Hind College which was inaugurated by Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra in the presence of Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Cultural, Government of Maharashtra and Govind Raj. There was an official release of two research papers of Tourism Research and Development department of MTDC; release of Mahabhraman (Experiential Tourism) pocket guide and MTDC resort brochure. The conclave also invited six expert speakers from different walks of life who shared their experiences in the field of tourism.
The state tourism also launched two new tourist destinations, Bhodhalkasa and Kunkeshwar in the state of Maharashtra and subsequent opening of MTDC resorts and facilities at all these places.
MTDC also inaugurated free Mumbai Darshan Tour for differently-abled children of Advitya organisation that seeks to provide vocational training to mentally challenged individuals. The tour commenced from Dadar and children got to experience the iconic places of Mumbai like Bandra Band stand, Juhu Chowpaty and Kala Ghoda to name a few.
Rawal said, “On the occasion of World Tourism Day, this year’s theme being “Tourism for All -Promoting Universal Accessibility”, our aim is to spread the importance and benefits of accessibility to constantly add value to our tourist experiences. The land of Maharashtra showcases some of the best temples, forts, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserves, historic monuments and world heritage sites. With the launch of these two destinations, we aspire to get socially engaged and promote Maharashtra as an outstanding tourist destination.”
Madan Madhukarrao Yerawar, State Tourism Minister, Government of Maharashtra added, “It is an honour to be recognised by the by UNWTO Madrid on this special occasion of World Tourism Day. Through these events and initiatives we aim to spread the culture and diversity of the state. The theme this year is “Tourism for All -Promoting Universal Accessibility”, we also urge the sector to address the demand of universal accessible tourism products which will eventually benefit the tourism sector and society at large.”
