Mumbai to be made into a world-class tourist spot

For many Mumbai is not just a city, it’s a feeling. People from various parts of the world love to visit the city over time and have shared fond experiences of the metro city. The city which is India’s financial capital and home to Bollywood industry has large number of attractions like Bollywood Theme Park, 150-year-old houses in Khotachiwadi in Girgaum, Kala Ghoda festival to the cricket matches at the famous Wankhede Stadium. Taking advantage of these attractions, the Maharashtra government is all set to entice tourists by making Mumbai on the sought out tourists spots in the world.

The state is setting a first-ever inclusive tourism development plan to attract foreign and domestic travellers to Mumbai, by taking inspiration from cities like New York, Sydney, Boston, and Chicago, which have been developed into world-class tourism destinations. The project is expected to cost around Rs 676 crore. The project aims at how Mumbai can be developed into an R-urban village, gifting tourists the experience of rural Maharashtra in urban Gorai, a Mumbai Haat, a flamingo and mangroves museum at Sewri. The state aim at providing experiences for the tourists based on their preference. For this, five circuits or tour packages will be made by the state that club locations with related themes together. The package has been classified to religious sites, museums and art galleries, popular markets, waterfronts and gardens, and old iconic residential areas such as Khotachiwadi, and Parsi Colony.

The project will also aim at promoting the cultural events such as Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Bandra Fair, IPL matches, Mumbai Marathon, Mumbai International Film Festival, Kala Ghoda Festival, and Elephanta Festival. The existing tourist spots will undergo renovation for creating better amenities like parking facility, 24×7 tourist helpline, more ATMs, food stalls, toilets, drinking water kiosks, smart phone applications, websites, and tourist information centres. “The plan needs to be ready at the earliest. We have asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to send the plan to the state, so it can be cleared and implemented,” said VK Gautam, Principal Secretary and MD, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

Currently, Mumbai get most of the tourist visits during January and December. The project aims at getting tourists to Mumbai’s famous and lesser-known sites throughout the year.