Separate Tourism Corporation For Konkan

The proposed Konkan Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will act as a subsidiary body of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), with the latter's joint managing Director acting as the head of the new corporation.

To explore untapped tourism potential on the coastline and ensure holistic development of the necessary infrastructure, the state government is working on the formation of a separate tourism corporation for the Konkan region.

The proposed Konkan Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will act as a subsidiary body of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), with the latter's joint managing Director acting as the head of the new corporation. The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) officials said it will act as an equity or joint venture partner. The top MTDC officials, however, denied that KTDC was a joint collaboration between MTDC and MMB.

"Maharashtra is a large state and MTDC is tasked with a wide range of duties as the tourism promoting body. Konkan, which itself covers a vast stretch, has tremendous tourism potential. Therefore, a need was felt to create a separate body to concentrate solely on Konkan," said state principal secretary (Tourism and Culture), Valsa Nair Singh.

Meanwhile, MMB chief executive officer (CEO) Atul Patne noted that the move will help harness the untapped, unexplored tourism potential on the coast. "MMB handles water transport, creeks and inland waterways. Water sports, an important part of tourism, is also with us," he added, stressing on the need for the board's involvement in the venture. He said that while MMB could look at developing the seafront, MTDC could handle the rest.

Maharashtra has a 720km coast, including 114km in Mumbai city and the suburbs, 127km in Thane and Palghar, 122km in Raigad, 237km in Ratnagiri and 120km in Sindhudurg. The, presence of multiple agencies operating on their own, however, has ensured that a larger, holistic sense of ownership remains missing.

"Unlike other states such as Andhra Pradesh, where the Vishakhapatnam port was developed, Maharashtra has few such sites with that kind of draft," said Patne, adding that considering the low height of waves, the seafront on the western coast could be used for tourism.

Commenting on the development, aviation and tourism consultancy group Global Tourism Council's president Iqbal Mulla said, "It's a very positive step on part of the state government. The Konkan belt has some of the best beaches and geographical topography in the country. Such separate focus on it was needed."