In a bid to draw more tourists during the Ganesh festival and make it popular amongst non-Maharashtrians and foreigners, the Directorate of Tourism (DoT) plans to conduct guided tours in Pune and Mumbai this year. Citizens who wish to participate in these tours can book online for the same. Additionally, the DoT plans to carry out separate tours for national-level tour operators, influencers and the media to familiarise them with the festival in both Pune and Mumbai. Only those from other states can participate in these tours.
Valsa Nair Singh, principal secretary of the tourism department, said, “The Ganesh festival is a great opportunity for tourists and devotees who want to visit famous mandals in both cities. They can experience the positive vibes, energy and cultural celebrations. They will get all the information on the festival and mandals during the visit.”
Supriya Karmarkar, deputy director of the Pune DoT, said, “Pune’s tour will be like a heritage walk. There will be two different kinds of trips; one for common citizens and the other for national-level tour operators. It is expected that these tour operators will promote the Ganesh festival in their business areas and encourage more tourists to visit Maharashtra during the Ganesh festival.”
Karmarkar said, “The Pune group will be taken to Kasba Ganpati, Kesari wada, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Tulshi baug, Guruji talim, Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati and Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati. Other places such as Shaniwar wada, Lal mahal and Nana wada will be part of the itinerary.”
She further said, “DoT is just a facilitator for these tours. We have already trained the guides who will get an opportunity for employment. The DoT carried out such a promotion plan earlier but it got a tepid response. Taking this into consideration, we involved private players and made available the direct booking facility on ‘book my show’ for guided tours.”
{{/usCountry}}She further said, “DoT is just a facilitator for these tours. We have already trained the guides who will get an opportunity for employment. The DoT carried out such a promotion plan earlier but it got a tepid response. Taking this into consideration, we involved private players and made available the direct booking facility on ‘book my show’ for guided tours.”
{{/usCountry}}According to DoT, the Pune tour charges will be Rs350 for Indian citizens and Rs550 for foreign tourists. These tours will be operated mainly in the morning between 9 am and 12 pm to avoid crowds and facilitate better interaction with mandal office-bearers. With Pune having a large migrant population, DoT is looking at these tours also as a way to familiarise these people with the various Ganpati mandals.