Milind Pote highlights that the tourism sector in Marathwada — which includes adventure, medical, wellness, sports, rural and religious tourism — has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. He points out that Marathwada is an important travel region (noting that the city of Aurangabad serves as a regional hub and that two of Maharashtra’s four UNESCO World Heritage Sites are based there).
Pote emphasises the chain-effect damage: hotels, restaurants, travel agents, tour operations, and transport services are all impacted because of cancelled international travel and domestic hesitance.
He warns that the sector’s recovery will be slow: people may prefer staying with relatives or avoiding travel altogether rather than staying in hotels, which shares the burden largely across smaller businesses.
A specific concern he raises: smaller or budget hotels must now adhere to rigorous hygiene and sanitisation standards, but oversight and auditing of these practices remain weak in Marathwada — making it a major challenge for tourism’s rebound.
He also mentions optimism in state-level policy: the Maharashtra government is working on a new tourism policy which could strengthen the region’s ability to bounce back.
Articles:
https://www.iwmbuzz.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/tourism-marathwada-post-covid-19-entrepreneur-milind-pote-shares-expert-views/2020/09/17
https://www.latestly.com/india/news/entrepreneur-milind-pote-shares-his-views-on-tourism-in-marathwada-after-covid-19-2034320.html