Maharashtra news: ‘Tourism zone’ with amusement parks, hotels, eateries and more to be set up near Navi Mumbai airport

Mumbai is set to get a dedicated 'tourism zone' in Navi Mumbai near the upcoming greenfield international airport. 

The 'tourism zone' will be located near the growth centres of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad and will have a mix of restaurants, amusement parks, hotels, hotel management and training institutes and other supporting activities. This zone will be created over 1,000 acres of land and will also have training institutes to empower youth and generate skilled manpower.

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The draft tourism policy for Maharashtra, which will be tabled before the state cabinet soon, includes this ‘tourism zone’ as one of its provisions. Experimental tourism activities such as adventure tourism, rural tourism, wellness tourism and community tourism will serve as the main focus point of the policy. The draft policy includes a single-window clearance for the hospitality sector.

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A state tourism department official told India Today, "The draft policy includes provisions for allocating land for a tourism zone and creating this zone on 1,000 acres of land near the Navi Mumbai international airport. The location has been chosen as it is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region growth hub. It will have hotels, entertainment facilities, amusement parks and tourism-related activities." 

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“The zone will also have a hotel management and training institute as we plan to focus on skill development. The private sector needs skilled manpower,” the official was quoted as saying in the report. He further informed that stakeholder consultations have been completed, and the draft policy will be submitted to the state cabinet soon for approval.

Moreover, a dedicated 'tourism police' corps will be deployed in tourist areas, as per policy provisions. These police personnel will be recruited from the ranks of ex-servicemen. The tourism police force will be specially trained in assisting tourists. 

Maharashtra had 43.57 million domestic tourists and 190,000 foreign tourist visitors in 2021, according to the India Tourism Statistics-2022 report. In 2020, 1.26 million foreign tourists and 39.23 million domestic tourists visited the state. Tourism Statistics report ranked Maharashtra second in foreign tourist visits in 2021 and fifth in domestic tourist visits.