The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) announced that Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has joined as its first member from India.

Maharashtra is a land that is untouched, unsullied, and unlimited. The sheer size and diversity of this land will amaze travelers, from the mountains that reach out into the mist as far as the eye can see, to the miles of silver white beaches stretched along the coast, to the forts and temples sculpted right into the basalt rock.

Chairman of ICTP, Juergen T. Steinmetz, said: “Maharashtra takes a lead in sustainable tourism in India, recognizing how important green growth is, not only to this state, but to this large country as well. In addition to a tourism policy, Maharashtra has introduced an eco-tourism policy.”

Geoffrey Lipman, President of ICTP, said: “With the Rio+20 Earth Summit on the horizon, ICTP is delighted to add its first Indian member - this country is destined to become one of the most important travel destinations in the world, simply because of its fantastic traditions, culture, and history, as well as its huge resource of skilled and smart people. It will be one of the key nodes in the ICTP global network.”
Chandrashekhar Jaiswal, Senior Manager of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, explained that their tourism policy emphasizes eco-tourism, with the objective being to promote the state as an eco-tourism region, while keeping the natural habitat intact. Another aspect that is part of Maharashtra’s tourism policy is that of the protection of monuments.