MTDC, World Tourism Day & Tourists!

 

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“Not all those who wander are lost” … J.R.R. Tolkien.

Well, well, & who else than Tolkien can write such words with “Lord of The Ring” trilogy under his name where he takes us on an adventure trail by bunch of Hobbits! Its such stories which make people get away from their routine life & take even unknown paths as on such journeys one finds purpose of the life! And when I got a call from MTDC office to speak about my experiences with them on the occasion of World Tourism Day, above was the quote which came to my mind! Oh k, for those who are frequent travelers & those who doesn’t, since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27. This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. And MTDC is, our Maharashtra State’s tourism arm which operates as Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation formed in 1975 & is one of the better doing child (read as, public sector corporations) yet ignored by its parents i.e.  “Mai Baap” Govt!

On such background when I get a call from MTDC officials about a webinar on World Tourism Day, asking, can I share my experiences or say views about MTDC, it was a pleasant shock for me! Because very rarely some govt agency on its own reaches out to its consumers & asks them to share their views that too, in-front of their organization & online, where you can be seen or heard by anybody! May be that’s the change which was needed a long back & finally happening is what I thought as my association with MTDC goes right thirty years back when I got married & decided to go to place named Chikhladara in Melghat Forests in Eastern Maharashtra, I stayed at MTDC resort which got opened during that week only. On the edge of a cliff in the forest, outskirts of Chikhladara town, the resort had ten rooms (then) & I myself along with my wife were the only customers for three nights & the Manger of the resort & a cook! At that time nobody even knew (I mean barring some tourists in Pune & Mumbai) about MTDC because first thing is, travelling itself wasn’t much common, it was just for riches or people dedicated to wild life passion or something like that & second MTDC hasn’t aggressively marketed themselves to make people know what they are offering (which is a fact even today) to the tourists or say travelers! The scene has changed a lot as today travelling or say tourism is not just a buzz word but it has become a big revenue earning industry by itself & indeed last two years the lockdown has hit this industry most but it is bouncing back also fastest.

I started my sharing on the webinar by sharing my honeymoon experience at MTDC in 1991 & association there after till my last stay in Aug 21 at Tadoba resort which is now second home for me. In last thirty years I have visited many resorts of MTDC right from Ganpati Pule, a beach resort to Lonavala & even a remote place like Wani, a pilgrimage place in Vidarbha & indeed there is change in approach of the organization which is a welcome sign. When we say change in approach then it’s about the way the people of that organization meet (read as greet) their clients as marketing anybody can do aggressively by spending money but it’s the service which matters in the end! What MTDC needs to do, is the key question as if it really wants to ride the wave of tourism then on the surface touching few aspects such as sending their class 3 & 4 staffers to other State’s tourism resorts & study as well compare to sending higher rank team to even abroad, just to know how the clients are treated to every single details & implement the same at our end. As well finding new locations & making our presence seen is also an important aspect in service industry like tourism & here MTDC has an upper hand in compare to its private opponent as at many of the locations land is not that big issue because it’s a govt arm, the Tadoba resort is a classic example of it. The location where Tadoba MTDC resort is built, would have been impossible for any private players because the land was owned by forest dept i.e. govt only.

Well, in mere seven minutes it would have ben impossible to speak all issues so even after the webinar the subject was in my mind for long as not just because of MTDC but overall tourism status in our State & that’s why this sharing. As an MTDC team what is my biggest hurdle have any of us has asked this; well, it’s making people believe in the service of MTDC & make them feel proud or tell others with pride that they are going to spend the special moments at MTDC resorts! If you are able to achieve that then you have won is what I will say because when you ask any couple or group of friends or a family, they will proudly say they are going to stay at Leela Kempnski @ Goa or Taj Baghnban @ Pench or even Club Mahendra resort at Kasouli (Uttaranchal)  but have you ever heard someone proudly telling, that they are going to stay at MTDC resort for their vacations? Neither we know that someone has announced arranging a destination wedding or wedding anniversary at some MTDC resort while at same destinations such activities have been done at some private resort! Please take no offence, it’s not because MTDC is below par but MTDC itself has never tried or thought in that way to promote (or build) its brand or image. I think this is the blockage which has to be removed from the mindsets of the masses about MTDC & for that first it has to be removed from MTDC think tank’s mind!

Then, let’s focus on lesser known or not known destinations as well create destinations by setting a resort, this is what Uttarakhand or MP govt’s tourism depts' have done in past & successfully. Post Covid, many people have realized that there is much larger & better life offering experiences beyond the malls & multiplexes of the cities & MTDC has to be there to make people know such places & provide them a place there. As take example of Pune district itself, right from Ujani backwaters which attracts tourists from all over the country for flamingos, to the grass lands & forests & forts of Western Ghat, so many things are here in just one district but where is the proper place to eat, stay & freshen up? That’s why these spots are either getting neglected or private players are making money by offering their services & the scene is same all along the State.

Agreed the popular locations like Mahableshwar, Tadoba or Lonavala will be there but how many people will come to just Tadoba as it depends on numbers of safaris so what we can do to make more tourist come & stay at place like Tadoba, what we can offer to them other than just entry in the park, we need to make a brain storming session with every resort on these lines & act, right? We are in service industry that too which deals with fun, pleasure, leisure & entertainment & we need to create ways as well opportunities for them & offer allied services, that’s what MTDC should think of & not just offering shelter for the tourists! Dubai is wonderful example of it as it realized just shopping & duty free thing won’t work, so it started to develop everything which a tourist family will love so right from Bollywood Studio to Rain Forest Park to ICE Age Park to Beach Activities, they are trying everything to make tourists come to Dubai. Agreed its Dubai & has money but nobody spends money for free, they are going to get returns that’s why they are spending money. Take example of Tadoba or Pench forest, MTDC can arrange “Atdhwadi Bazar” festivals where locals come together from nearing villages & offer their goods for slae at one place, its can be wonderful activity other than just clicking tiger snaps & we can promote it! At the same time apart from Jungle Safari MTDC can take lead in getting tourist explore areas around outskirts of forests & for that involve locals as well forest dept by! Fortunately, our State’s every district or town has some uniqueness on the biodiversity front & especially in today’s world, biodiversity & nature are the “In thing” terminologies which we have in abundant, all we need is understand our tourism potential & act!

At the same time MTDC has to find out not just improve on existing resorts & setup but find out new ways & avenues of increasing revenue as well growth! Come out of age-old nature, wild life as well pilgrimage tourism, it will be there sure but think of commercial or trade tourism. For e.g., the way Pune & Mumbai people visits Dubai & Abu Dhabi, MTDC can make Pune & Mumbai shopping destinations for rural India & not just Maharashtra. Many residents from towns & cities in Central India have never visited Malls & Restaurants of Pune, leave apart Mumbai & MTDC can think of tie-up with Malls of Pune & use it for tourism! Same way education & medical tourism also can be major sources of revenue hereafter! For that, make a think tank at every district place dedicated to tourism, involve local traders, professionals in it & take monthly or biweekly meets, just with one agenda how we can make our town or city or district more tourism friendly & make more people to visit here. Give little bit recognition & honour (the way you have given me by calling me on the webinar) & then see what wonder these local people can do for MTDC. Think of forming MTDC Club (like Club Mahendra) & offer memberships to prominent as well regular customers at lower rates. Think of having three tyre resorts is Luxurious, Budget & for college students such as youth hostels, so you can cover entire segment of the tourists & advertise effectively about what you are as MTDC! As this will benefit not just MTDC but entire place as trave means trade & trade means prosperity! As well high time for MTDC to set up its own Institute of Hospitality management & allied services as with hundreds of experienced staffers it has a full set of teachers within their organization itself, use that knowledge wealth! 

As well tourism needs infrastructure at tourist destinations & in our country one has to demand for the same, right from good roads to civic facilities & on this front also MTDC has to take lead in raising voice about making such infra available to the locals! At the same time, dear “mai baap’ govt, all these activities needs money & only if we give backing of money to organizations like MTDC then the money we spent for farmers & poor people’s aid will also be saved as this spending will make thousands of farmers & poor people (rural) from demanding the aid in first place! The world is changing & exploring & the travel industry is on the high tide, does MTDC is ready to ride the wave, is the only question!

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Sanjay Deshpande

 Sanjeevani Dev.

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https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/09/choosing-right-home.html

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