Resorts at popular tourist destinations are completely booked, as people have planned to make the most of the holiday season and long weekends to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
According to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) officials, resorts at Bhandardara, Ganpatiphule, Matheran, Tadoba, Tarkarli and Velneshwar resorts are completely booked. Other popular destinations include Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Alibaug and Bordi have also in demand from tourists.
“The bookings are full at most of our resorts. Since people prefer to plan well in advance, we are getting a good response at all the resorts,” said an MTDC official.
Tourist sources said, vacations of Christmas and New Year are much awaited in the year. With favourable weather condition and the perfect time for celebration, people throng tourist places in large numbers to celebrate the occasion. With adjoining long weekends on Christmas and New Year, a lot of rush is expected in many destinations.
Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia, MTDC managing director, said, “Festivals brings entire family together. Maharashtra has an array of destinations to offer, from hill stations and beaches to historical sites. This year we have bookings made six months prior and we got a very good response at many of our destinations too”.
To manage the rush, MTDC has started promoting bed and breakfasts as well. They have also started an initiative called Mahabhramanti in which tourists can interact with locals. This will give locals an opportunity and platform to earn during this season, said officials.
As per the Tourism Highlights 2015 Edition report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), India attracted 0.67 percent of the world’s international tourist arrivals out of which Maharashtra is the leader in the country with respect to foreign tourist arrivals (20.8 percent) to India and one of the leading states for domestic tourist visits (7.2 percent).
