FPJ Face To Face: 'Gen Z Rejects Concrete Hotels As 60% Of Maharashtra’s Tourists Now Seek Authentic Local Experiences,' Says State's Tourism Director Dr BN Patil

Maharashtra continues to remain as one of the top states in India for foreign tourist visits annually. To boost tourism and increase the sector's contribution to the state's economy, Maharashtra has introduced various policies for promoting rural and experience-based tourism. Dr. B.N. Patil, the director of Maharashtra government's Directorate of Tourism, spoke to Free Press Journal's Dhairya Gajara to share the state's targets and plans for 2026.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: What was the growth of tourism in Maharashtra recorded in 2025 and what were the key source markets domestically and internationally?

A: In 2025, Maharashtra recorded around 16 crore tourists and we have been witnessing around 15% year-on-year growth post Covid-19 pandemic. Within the country, the key source markets for Maharashtra are Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and the Southern states. On the international front, we record a high number of tourists from the US and Europe, who visit the UNESCO Heritage Sites and Maharashtra's wildlife. Tourists from Thailand and Cambodia are specifically visiting Maharashtra during Ganeshotsav to witness the grand colourful celebration. The number of foreign tourist visits in 2025 was over 18 lakhs.

Q: What is the contribution of tourism in Maharashtra's finances and what is the growth target this year?

A: Tourism contributes to around 7-8% of Maharashtra's GDP (gross domestic product) and we aim to increase the contribution to around 15%. This year, our target is to welcome over 20 crore tourists and to achieve that, we are organising various festivals throughout the year across the unique spots of the state. We have started the Mumbai Festival, Mahabaleshwar Festival and Bhandardara Festival to attract more and more inbound tourists. Our approach is to provide more facilities to the tourists.

Q: What are the latest travel trends recorded among young tourists visiting Maharashtra?

A: We have witnessed that the new generation of tourists, the GenZs, are not interested in concrete hotels. They are more interested in experiences therefore they are going for home stays, local cuisine and local handicrafts. Our survey indicated that 60% of tourists are preferring new experiences, including rural experiences, rather than conventional hotels and resorts. To facilitate them, we have more than 5,000 homestays already functional in the state.

Q: How will Maharashtra benefit from the union government’s plan to train tourist guides, announced in the latest budget?

A: We had submitted a proposal to the union government to skill 8,000 tourist guides from Maharashtra and the announcement in the union budget will definitely benefit us. We also have our skilling programme under which we aim to skill around 12,000 people in the tourism sector through hospitality institutes like IHM Solapur and IHM Dadar. We have also tied up with ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) to train these guides in promoting responsible tourism.

Q: Maharashtra has a resourceful coastline. What initiatives are being undertaken to increase beach tourism?

A: We have a 720km long coastal belt. We have one-of-a-kind scuba diving facility at Tarkarli, beautiful resorts in Ganapatipule, Harihareshwar and nearby places in the Konkan belt. We have a variety of silver, black and brown beaches with a unique biodiversity. Due to this, every year lots of tourists also visit these beaches to witness the Olive Ridley turtles lay their eggs. We have started promoting it with the help of the forest department. The Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 allows people with good seaside locations to develop their own shacks, pods or tents and receive incentives from us. Till now, over 2,000 people have received incentives, not only in Konkan but also other tourist places like Tadoba, Nagpur, Nashik, Igatpuri and Mahabaleshwar.

Q: A larger part of rural Maharashtra does not have either a beach or a mountain. How do we plan to boost tourism in these places?

A: The key sector in Maharashtra is agro-tourism as 50% of the people are dependent on it. The state has seven agro-climatic zones with vineyards in Nashik, alphonso mangoes and cashews in Konkan, cotton in the north as well as banana and other crops in the rest of the state. Through the Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024, we have registered 2,000 people for agro-tourism and another 2,000 are already in line. Farmers are vulnerable to climate change and agro tourism develops resilience in them by providing regular income. An agro tourism centre in Alibaug reports around 2,000 visitors during peak season. While tourists enjoy organic authentic farm produce, it also becomes a mode of exchange of culture.

Q: What initiatives is the directorate undertaking to increase tourism in Mumbai?

A: MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) is a big sector for Maharashtra since we have an international convention centre in Mumbai. Till date, we have organised six global conferences at the Jio World Convention Centre and four more conferences are in the pipeline. It's a big boost to enhance inbound international tourism and we also provide incentives to MICE activities. We already have Kanheri Caves, Sanjay Gandhi National Park and other beautiful beaches in Mumbai but people are now visiting to experience infrastructure tourism in the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region). Tourists are coming to experience a drive on the Coastal Road, Atal Setu and Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The Film City museum also attracts a lot of tourists every year.

Published on: Monday, February 09, 2026, 01:35 AM IST