Maharashtra Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday launched a website and an application to facilitate the ease of booking and exploring tourists spots, cultures and cuisine for travellers visiting the state.
Taking to Twitter, the Worli MLA also said that the Bombay High Court and the University of Mumbai will be opened for tourists "to witness the grandeur of these iconic structures through guided heritage walks".
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Thackeray expressed his gratitude "to the Department and the team that works towards sustainable, eco-friendly, and inclusive economic growth of Maharashtra through tourism".
"I humbly thank CM Uddhav Thackeray ji, DCM @AjitPawarSpeaks ji & RM @bb_thorat ji for always supporting MoS @iAditiTatkare ji and me in all our initiatives," he added.
"Today is one step further towards transforming the global perspective and ensuring that Maharashtra is on everyone's bucket list worldwide," Thackeray added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said tourists should be provided high-quality facilities so that they will become brand ambassadors of the state.
He also said if tourists become brand ambassadors there will be no need to appoint a separate brand ambassador for Maharashtra.
"'Atithi Devo Bhava' (Guest is God) is our culture and hence, if we make all the facilities available to them even foreign tourists will recommend others to visit Maharashtra," Thackeray said while addressing a function commemorating the World Tourism Day.
He said the tourism department remained neglected earlier.
"We are now paying attention to tourism as we have understood its importance," he said, adding that tourism is the mainstay of revenue for many states and countries.
Giving an example of an unfinished Sagrada Familia monument in Barcelona city of Spain, Thackeray stressed the need to carve a modern cave in Maharashtra like the iconic Ellora caves carved in a single rock.
Thackeray said the tourism industry faced a major setback due to the lockdown, but he praised the state tourism department for bringing new policies, schemes, and generating employment.
(With PTI inputs)
