Tourism fraternity demands re-opening of heritage sites to revive industry and survive dependents

Aurangabad, Oct 26:

Tourism fraternity through an NGO, Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF) has urged the state tourism minister Aditya Thackeray to re-open the monuments and tourist places in and around Aurangabad on a priority basis. They also underlined that the tourism professionals would adhere to standard operating procedures (SoPs) and ensure maintaining social distance, masks and using sanitisers, after permission.

The memorandum drew the attention of the minister towards the closure of monuments since March. The pandemic situation has become

mild; therefore, the government should grant permission under Mission Begin Again.

The chairman of Public Relations and Civil Aviation Committee Sunit Kothari and all members of ATDF sent the memorandum to the tourism minister.

ATDF underlined re-opening of monuments in other states including the

Taj Mahal. Besides, all hotels, malls, shops, offices, playgrounds etc. had been re-opened to unlock the situation. As a result, the state government should also grant permission to revive the tourism industry. .

Aurangabad is the Tourism capital of Maharashtra. Tourism is the livelihood of thousands of people. The city is visited by international and domestic tourists to visit Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Bibi ka Mqbara, Daulatabad Fort, Lonar Crater etc. which are situated in and around the city. The tourism business had come to a grinding halt. The immediate revival of industry and survival of its dependents has become the need of the hour.

The copy of memoranda is also given to guardian minister and industries minister Subhash Desai, chief secretary Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary (Tourism and Culture) Valsa Nair Singh, director general (Archaeological Survey of India - New Delhi) Vidyavati and the union minister of Tourism Prahlad Sinh Patel.