Only 75 foreign tourists turn up for Ellora-Ajanta International Festival in Aurangabad

It was a big disappointment for the Maharashtra Tourism and Development Corporation (MTDC) to see that the three day long Ellora-Ajanta International Festival has failed to attract foreign tourists in spite of relentless promotions of the event.
On day 1 only 75 tourists have intimated the authorities about their arrival. Due to the poor response from foreign as well as domestic tourists, the authorities have taken a decision to allow free entry to the foreign tourists attending the festival.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 15 October 2016.

In order to attract maximum number of foreign tourists for the event, the organizing committee had sent out invitations to the consulate generals of over 100 countries along with a request to inform about the festival in their respective countries. But, none of the consulate generals, the senior diplomats or foreign tourists have confirmed their arrival for the festival.
MTDC has pointed out that the Elephanta festival celebrated every year in Mumbai, is among the most successful tourism events in the country. The dates for the Elephanta festival are announced at least a couple of years in advance which gives the organizers enough time to publicize the event in different countries. It also helps the tourists as well as tour operators to plan the tours and packages accordingly.
Moreover, MTDC have also blamed the organizers for roping in Bollywood artists to perform at the event, instead of focusing on promoting the cultural heritage of the region.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Soon Ho-Ho tourist buses will begin to ply in Mumbai

In order to attract more and more foreign and domestic tourists to visit the city of Mumbai, a Ho-Ho bus service is being planned on the lines of a similar service existing in London. Visitors to the city may soon have the luxury of also tasting wines produced in Maharashtra along with musical entertainment on the new air-conditioned open deck Ho-Ho buses. Ho-Ho means a 'hop-on, hop-off' service where tourists can tour and visit prominent destinations across the city at their convenience - they can buy a single card and catch a bus every 20-30 minutes.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 8 April 2016.

The proposed service will be a joint venture between Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and BEST and, in the initial stage, it will be offered to and from the Gateway of India. The bus may also have an option to pick up tourists at stops near five-star hotels. It seems a number of AC buses are lying idle at the 36 BEST depots across the city, and a few of these will be given on lease to the MTDC.
Details of pricing of tickets, spots and routes are being worked out considering that buses will continuously ply throughout the day. Tourists can spend as much time ass they want at destinations according to their wish and they can take any of these Ho-Ho buses.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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