Prasenjit Chakraborty - Mumbai In order to boost tourism in Maharashtra the state government has introduced Caravan Policy.
The policy aims not only to provide a different kind of experience to travellers , but also promote tourism in the state’s remote areas and create job opportunities.
According to the policy, caravans and camper vans will be able to provide all the facilities to tourists in areas where permanent construction is prohibited. Caravan parks will be places where recreational vehicles can be parked and all the facilities including water refill, battery charging and disposal of sewage will be made available. In addition, there will be food courts and information regarding local sights. These parks will be set up in the buffer zone of a forest, near a dam or foot of a fort.
Talking about the importance of the policy, Valsa Nair Singh, IAS- Principal Secretary, Tourism, EXcise & Civil Aviation, Govt of Maharashtra, said that there are many scenic places in Maharashtra which fall under CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone), forest or forest buffer area or irrigation zone (near dam) where construction is not allowed. “However, in such destinations parking of Caravan is allowed and here comes in our Caravan Policy playing a great role. We are helping the caravan players to tie up with hotel groups,” she said. According to her, Caravan tourism has tremendous potential in Maharashtra, as the state has very good roads.
“Not only that, good law and order situation also offers huge scope for Caravan tourism. Mumbai to Goa is one of the best road trips in the world. Besides this, Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Nashik, etc. also offer huge scope for development of Caravan tourism,” she opined. The state government intends to create permanent caravan parks in around five spots, including the Gangapur dam near Nashik and Malshej and Karla near Pune.
