- By Deepa Krishnan
As part of their 25th year celebrations, Mumbai's popular newspaper Mid-day asked me to write about how to make Mumbai the top tourist city in India. Here's my article.
As part of their 25th year celebrations, Mumbai's popular newspaper Mid-day asked me to write about how to make Mumbai the top tourist city in India. Here's my article.
Recently I read a report by MasterCard, listing the top 20 cities which
received international tourists in 2014. London topped the list, with
18.9 million visitors. Mumbai had only 4.9 million and did not make the
top 20 list. Neither did any other Indian city.
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I think it will completely change the Mumbai tourism industry if Mehboob Studio or Film City makes a great studio tour, with movie history, dance, music, dining and other entertainment options. Just think about the possibilities! What if the entire Kapoor clan promoted an R K Studios tour? I’m told they still preserve all the costumes from their sets! What if the Bollywood Khans became ambassadors for Film City tours?
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Hall of fame in Mehboob Studio |
I think Bollywood can make Mumbai not just a prized conference venue, but the number one leisure tourist destination in India for both international and domestic tourists. But none of the studios in Mumbai seem to share this vision. Forget studio tours, there is not even a daily song and dance show on offer based on the movies. What a waste of Mumbai’s potential as an entertainment hub!
Apart from entertainment, we also need to revitalize and improve other aspects of the city. We have a great art district in Kala Ghoda, which could be made into a pedestrian plaza with cafes, boutiques and art galleries, much like central Amsterdam or Brussels. It could become an attractive place to showcase Maharashtra’s unique crafts and cuisine.
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Kala Ghoda Art District |
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Kala Ghoda Festival |
The nearby Ballard Estate, with its old-world charm, can also become an
extended part of this tourism zone. It would inject life into this
heritage zone, which otherwise goes creepily quiet after 6:00 p.m.
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Ballard Estate |
I’ve always said that Mumbai’s heart lies in its bazaars and neighbourhoods like Bhuleshwar, Bhendi Bazaar, Lalbaug, Dadar, Matunga, Bandra etc. Each locality has its own charm. These neighbourhoods are tourism assets and part of our living heritage. Walking tours conducted by locals to highlight the architecture, culture and cuisine of these neighbourhoods, will not only attract tourists, but also result in a sense of civic pride and provide impetus to local heritage conservation efforts.
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My article in Mid-Day |
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Spice Market at Lalbaug |
Public toilets and good public transport – these are two major areas
where we need to focus if we want to become a tourist destination. It’s a
miracle if you can find a clean public toilet in Mumbai! The shameful
reality is that tour guides in the city are constantly scrambling to
solve toilet emergencies of tourists.
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Lastly – I don’t think we can talk about promoting tourism in Mumbai without talking about how to develop the potential of nearby areas. Only if Maharashtra becomes an attractive destination, will more and more people consider coming to Mumbai. Maharashtra is blessed with a long coastline, great trekking potential, world heritage sites, sacred pilgrimage towns, unique craft traditions, and great cuisine. We need to raise awareness of everything this state can offer.