State to frame tourism policy; An independent tourism plan has been created and ₹440 crore allocated for Aurangabad: Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal on Tuesday announced that the State government would soon frame its own tourism policy to encourage more foreign and domestic tourists and boost intra-state tourism

Mr. Rawal said, “The government has categorised tourists visiting the Maharashtra as international, Indian and those from the State. The government is presently working on creating its own tourism policy.”Mr. Rawal said that tourism was becoming one of the biggest generators of employment in the State over the past few years. He said, “Maharashtra now has five out of the 36 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.”

Mr. Rawal said an independent heritage policy would be drawn up to conserve forts and monuments in the State. “Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje will be a part of the committee that will chalk out the policy,” he said.

The tourism policy will include concession in land prices, stamp duty, GST and electricity rates, and extra Floor Space Index for those setting up tourist infrastructure. Mr. Rawal said, “The government fully understands the importance of the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad. An independent tourism plan has been created and ₹440 crore allocated.“