Maharashtra government is planning to form an events board to boost business travel and MICE tourism in the region. Apart from the events board, they will also revamp the licensing to ensure ease of doing business.
Aaditya Thackeray, minister for Tourism, Environment and Protocol, Government of Maharashtra said:
“There are two things we will be doing in the coming few weeks. One, we will be forming an events board as a platform for everyone to have an interaction with the government, suggest ways to go ahead and how we can actually incentivise this industry, how do we re-build this industry, which has been adversely affected by the pandemic.
“The other is, we are going to have regular physical interactions so that we can hear from you.”
On the hospitality front, the minister revealed that in the last three months, the number of licenses required by the hospitality sector had been reduced from 70 to ten, number of application forms from 70 to eight and from needing 15 NOCs, new establishments now only need nine self-certifications.
Launching beach shacks in eight destinations, promoting agro-tourism, creating resorts in partnership with hospitality majors (on long lease), making Mumbai 24×7, and a Wankhede Tour are few other projects that the tourism board of Maharashtra is working on currently.
The ‘Divine Maharashtra’ initiative with IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) is also in progress.
“When I say divine tourism, I am not talking about exploiting them or getting money or revenue out of them. What we are looking at is facilities for them to reach those places comfortably, for them to spend a night in that place, to have a good bed and breakfast there, so that they can pray to their hearts’ fullest.
“I think we’ve truly got to support these instruments of hope, that is prayer, to give comfort to the pilgrim who is walking on foot, driving in, or flying in,” explained Thackeray.
