Tourist spot: More Mumbaikars exploring state beauties during monsoon

Among these, Malshej and Bhandardara emerged as the most popular, with resorts at these places for weekends between June to August going completely sold out.

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“Monsoon tourism is catching up with people from Mumbai. If you look at the trend, the number of visitors has been growing steadily over the past three years. We are struggling to meet the demand for rooms. In 2013-14, over 2.02 lakh people visited Malshej, Bhandardara, Chikaldara, Ajanta and Matheran and now by the end of last fiscal, the number touched 2.6 lakh.” Satish Soni, Director of Tourism-Government of Maharashta and Joint Managing Director, MTDC, said.

Many foreigners visiting Mumbai are also exploring the state more during the monsoon.

“Monsoon is no longer an off-peak period to travel, at least in Maharashtra. From green, misty mountains at Lonavala, Khandala, Matheran, Chikhaldara, to tranquil, pristine beaches at Harihareshwar, Ganpatipule, Verneshwar, Tarkarli and Are Ware, the state has a lot to offer. Also, more people are taking interest in monsoon treks at various forts such as Lohagad, Pratapgad, Rajmachi, etc, to get a taste of adventure,” Soni said.

The tourists belong to all kinds of demographic groups, said Valsa Nair-Singh,the state’s Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture. “We see bookings across all categories, such as families, solo travellers and couples with kids. In July, we also receive a lot of visitors from West Asia, keen to experience the monsoon here.”

To cater to tourists looking for short stays, the MTDC has also launched a bed-and-breakfast service.

“In order to meet the higher demand, boost the economy and provide clean and affordable accommodation and food facilities to tourists, the MTDC has launched the Bread & Breakfast (B&B) scheme. Under this, we provide comfortable, affordable homestay options with local cuisine to tourists. It also helps generate employment for locals,” Valsa added.