Administration vows to host travel convention; Ellora festival on grand level

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The district administration has vowed to host major tourism-related events on a grand level and enhance tourist traffic in the district.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be holding its 38th annual convention in the city in September, while the state-sponsored Ellora Festival is also scheduled to be held in January 2024. The two events are important in terms of tourism development for the district. Hence during the interaction meeting between the bureaucrats and the tourism stakeholders, the district collector Astik Kumar Pandey told the IATO office-bearers that the district administration, municipal corporation, police administration and tourism department will work in coordination for the successful conduct of these mega-events.

The municipal commissioner G Sreekanth, Zilla Parishad chief executive officer Vikas Meena, commissioner of police (CP) Manoj Lohiya, deputy director (Directorate of Tourism), state excise superintendent Santosh Zhagade, Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF) president Jaswant Singh, IATO office-bearers Rajiv Mehra (President), Ravi Gosain (Vice President) and other tourism associates were present in the meeting.

Thousands of tour operators from all over India will be arriving in the city to attend the national convention. Hence the departments concerned have been instructed to ensure all necessary arrangements are made appropriately.

The collector also informed the municipal corporation to conduct a fire audit of the venue and ensure security.

The collector also reviewed the progress of works like the display of digital boards, hoardings highlighting tourist places in the district, culture and festivals, and boards reflecting warmness and hospitality

to welcome the IATO delegates and the guests at the festival. The motive is to develop the branding of the city amongst the outstation guests in the city.

The State Commissioner for Right to Services, Dilip Shinde, also joined the meeting through video-conferencing. He suggested the administration possibly conduct the Ellora Festival during holidays so that a large number of people could attend the event.

The discussion on organising cultural functions during the IATO convention and the festival was also held in the meeting.