Tadoba to be pitched to foreign tourists under Maharashtra-World Bank tourism plan

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur, in the Nagpur division, is to be presented afresh at the international level. A plan has been drawn up to give the reserve, known as the "Tiger Capital" of Central India, a strong identity on the world tourism map.

The work will be carried out under a joint programme of the Maharashtra government and the World Bank, "Maharashtra Strengthening Institutional Capabilities Districts for Enabling Growth". The programme aims to speed up development in the state by strengthening institutional capacity in districts. Along with Tadoba, Chikhaldara in Vidarbha's Amravati district, Sindhudurg and the tourism areas of Solapur-Dharashiv are included. The project places special emphasis on increasing the number of foreign tourists.

According to information received, the Maharashtra government's Directorate of Tourism has planned to revamp four major tourism circuits of the state, with Tadoba at the centre. These include the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and wildlife circuit, the Chikhaldara hill station and the Melghat wildlife area. The third circuit comprises Vijaydurg Fort, Sindhudurg Fort, Devbag, Tarkarli-Nivti beach and a hill station, while the fourth takes in Naldurg Fort and the religious sites of Pandharpur and Tuljapur. World-class facilities will be developed at all these places, and a "Destination Management Organisation" will be set up to speed up tourism.

A major goal of the World Bank project is to bring a significant increase in foreign tourist arrivals at selected tourist sites. The target for Tadoba and Vidarbha is a 10 per cent increase. First, accurate baseline data on foreign tourists visiting areas such as Tadoba, Chikhaldara and Sindhudurg will be prepared through a statewide survey agency and the DMO. To find out when tourists arrive and leave and how long they stay, modern technology such as "mobile positioning data" and big data analytics will be used alongside traditional surveys.

International tourism expos, trade fairs and roadshows will be held to draw foreign tourists. Global branding of the Tadoba safari will be done through social media sentiment analysis and digital marketing campaigns. A budget of Rs 41 crore has been set aside for establishing and running the DMO. If the number of foreign tourists rises by more than 10 per cent under the project, the World Bank will also give an incentive of Rs 4.1 crore.

A DMO is a body set up for the all-round development, promotion and management of a tourist destination. It will coordinate among the local administration, the forest department, the tourism department and private tourism operators in Tadoba, Sindhudurg, Chikhaldara and Solapur-Dharashiv. Its main tasks will be to prepare a separate destination management plan for each site, carry out international branding, and develop the skills of local youth, gypsy drivers and hospitality staff.

The project also stresses promoting private capital investment. It has been decided to run 10 major properties and resorts of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), which include these four tourist destinations along with Tadoba, with the expertise of the private sector. Private companies will improve the infrastructure of these properties and provide luxury amenities and world-class hospitality services. Once the commercialisation of the properties is completed successfully, a fund of about Rs 20.5 crore will also be provided.

The project is a joint programme of the Maharashtra government and the World Bank, aimed at speeding up the goal of making the state a 1 trillion dollar economy by 2027. Under it, planning and implementation capacity at the district level will be strengthened, data-based policies will be framed, private capital will be attracted and tourism services will be digitised.