The Collectorate of Mumbai City today hosted a pre-launch ‘Travel Media and Trade Meet’ to present the vision for the Mumbai Tourism Initiative, a first-of-its-kind city destination branding initiative aimed at establishing Mumbai as a premier global tourism destination. The meet was arranged in online and in-person formats.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Collectorate of Mumbai City, with the support of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). The year-long branding exercise seeks to bring Mumbai’s diverse tourism offerings into focus and strengthen the city’s identity on the national and global tourism map.
Addressing representatives of the travel media and travel trade associations, Aanchal Sood Goyal, IAS, Collector, Mumbai City, outlined the vision behind the initiative and highlighted the significance of undertaking the exercise at this juncture through a presentation.
While addressing the stakeholders, Aanchal Sood Goyal, IAS, said, “With the completion of 100 years of the District Collectorate, Mumbai, and the 50th anniversary of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, this is an appropriate time to reconnect the missing dots and bring Mumbai Tourism forward as a distinct identity within the larger ambit of Maharashtra Tourism, Government of Maharashtra. This will help bring to light the hidden, lesser-known and much-appreciated experiences and immersive offerings of Mumbai for tourists.”
Neelesh R. Gatne, IAS, Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), expressed his support for the initiative and said, “This is a valuable opportunity to bring city tourism into sharper focus in a planned and comprehensive manner. The experience of Mumbai can also serve as a model for similar city-level tourism initiatives across the State, in collaboration with the respective district administrations.”
The pre-launch meet was chaired by Aanchal Sood Goyal, IAS Collector, Mumbai City. Chandrashekhar Jaiswal, GM, MTDC, welcomed the travel media and trade across the country and is playing a crucial role in implementing the project. Manasi Kothare, the coordinating officer for Mumbai Tourism Initiative and Head of Business Development, MTDC, reviewed all the suggestions and proposed the vote of thanks.
The meeting was attended by Additional Collector Bappasaheb Krishnai Balasaheb Thorat and DPO Sanjay Shinde, along with senior representatives from the travel trade, tourism and hospitality sectors and the media fraternity.
The interaction provided an important platform for stakeholders to understand the vision and objectives of the Mumbai Tourism Initiative, exchange views and contribute suggestions towards strengthening Mumbai’s tourism ecosystem. The participation of leading travel trade associations, hospitality bodies, tourism professionals and industry representatives reflected strong support for a coordinated approach to developing and promoting Mumbai as a destination.
