What Maharashtra Tourism does

Maharashtra Tourism is the state tourism department of the Government of Maharashtra, operating through the Directorate of Tourism and its commercial arm, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). Established in 1960 alongside the formation of Maharashtra state, the department stewards tourism development across all 36 districts of the state, serving domestic tourists, international visitors, and religious pilgrims through destination promotion, policy formulation, and infrastructure development. Its core offering is a portfolio of government services, regulatory frameworks, and destination assets rather than a commercial product: the Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 (with incentives including SGST refunds, stamp duty exemptions, and hospitality industrial status), the Regional Tourism Development Scheme, dedicated policies for adventure, beach shack, agro, caravan, homestay, and AAI tourism, plus major projects such as India's first underwater museum at Sindhudurg (with INS Guldar and a planned submarine), Shivsrushti Theme Park in Pune, Ram Kal Path in Nashik, and Pandharpur temple complex development.

The organisation's business model is government-funded rather than revenue-generating: services to tourists are provided free of charge, and growth is driven by budgetary allocations, central government schemes (e.g., SASCI, Swadeshi Darshan 2.0), World Bank funding (MahaSTRIDE programme), and policy-led incentives to private operators. The department distributes through six regional offices, six Destination Management Organisations under MahaSTRIDE, an official portal (maharashtratourism.gov.in), the Mahaatithi booking platform, the MAITRI policy portal, and event channels such as ImagiNxt 2026 (10,000+ attendees, 250+ startups, 100+ investors) and the Gen O gaming festival (10,000+ daily visitors, 23+ countries). The competitive moat is structural — exclusive jurisdiction over the state's tourism assets, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, pilgrimage circuits, and regulatory frameworks — rather than technology-based, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities and an adjacent relationship to the state's broader AI policy agenda.

Name

Maharashtra Tourism

Legal name

Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra

Website

https://maharashtratourism.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Maharashtra Tourism is the Government of Maharashtra's state tourism department, promoting and developing tourism across 36 districts through policy, infrastructure, and destination management for domestic, international, and religious visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Tourism Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (56152), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Tourism Trade & Services Exports Development (BPADAMAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

Keywords

• Government tourism services
• Destination management
• Tourism policy framework
• Heritage tourism promotion
• Pilgrimage tourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Tourism Revenue: Maharashtra Tourism operates primarily through government funding and aims to generate tourism-related revenue through infrastructure development, visitor services, and tourism promotion initiatives across the state.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maharashtra Tourism is the Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, responsible for promoting and developing tourism across the state's 36 districts. It operates through the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to deliver tourism infrastructure projects, destination management, cultural promotion, policy implementation, and tourist information services covering heritage, religious, adventure, eco-tourism, and beach tourism segments.

Product overview

Maharashtra Tourism operates as a unified government tourism platform consisting of the Directorate of Tourism (DoT) for policy and promotion, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) for infrastructure development, and multiple online service portals for scheme applications and bookings. The product portfolio includes the Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 with incentive schemes (RTDS, AAI, Adventure, Agro, Caravan, Homestay policies), tourism circuits (heritage, religious, Buddhist, Ashtavinayak), major infrastructure projects (Shivsrushti theme park, Sindhudurg underwater museum, Ram Kal Path), and service platforms (Mahaatithi booking, MahaBooking portal). The ecosystem also encompasses the MICE Bureau for business events and SSMIHMCT for hospitality skill development. The offering functions as a platform of interconnected government services, regulatory frameworks, and destination management initiatives rather than a conventional product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tourism Promotion and Development Services Core government tourism services encompassing destination promotion, infrastructure development, strategic planning, sustainable tourism initiatives, and tourist information dissemination for visitors across Maharashtra.
• Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) State tourism development corporation managing tourism infrastructure and projects including resorts, hotels, and tourist facilities across the state.
• Sindhudurg Underwater Museum (INS Guldar) India's first integrated underwater museum featuring the decommissioned Indian Navy warship INS Guldar scuttled near Nivati Rocks at 22 meters depth, with planned submarine tourism facilities and artificial reef development for marine biodiversity.
• Shivsrushti Theme Park Historical theme park in Aundh, Pune based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's life featuring phase 1 and 2 completed with phase 3 including fort replica, fortifications, and AI-based attractions under development.
• MahaBooking Portal Online booking portal providing comprehensive tourism information including circuits, guides, resorts, hotels, homestays, transport, tour operators, and registration for policy incentives.
• Swami Samarth Maharashtra Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (SSMIHMCT) Hospitality education institute under Directorate of Tourism providing NCHMCT-affiliated degree and diploma programs in hospitality and hotel administration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Target of Rs 1 lakh crore investment through Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MITRA and ATITHI FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Maharashtra Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding between MITRA and the ATITHI Foundation to support knowledge-sharing and stakeholder partnerships within the tourism ecosystem. This partnership is part of the World Bank-funded MahaSTRIDE programme to operationalize Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) across Maharashtra's diverse destinations.
• OutskillminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Partnership with Outskill as part of ImagiNxt 2026 conference to advance skilling initiatives across India's startup ecosystem. Outskill collaborates with Maharashtra Tourism in hosting the technology and innovation festival.
• National Innovation FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Partnership with National Innovation Foundation as part of ImagiNxt 2026 to advance grassroots innovation across India's startup ecosystem. The foundation collaborates with Maharashtra Tourism in the technology festival focused on AI, DeepTech, and emerging technologies.
• Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 May 2026Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is implementing India's first underwater museum project in coordination with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. MDL is developing a 24-seater battery-operated passenger submarine at a total cost of Rs 110.58 crore, with Rs 26.58 crore mobilised through viability gap funding by MDL.
• EFlag CorpcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026EFlag Corp organized the Gen O - Pixels & Play festival with Maharashtra Tourism as Title Sponsor. The four-day international festival celebrates creativity, technology and youth innovation, positioning Mumbai as a global hub for AVGC sector.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Maharashtra government signed MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for Rs 572 crore infrastructure upgrade of Nashik airport. HAL is involved in the airport expansion project ahead of Kumbh Mela.

Scale indicators29 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Goa Tourism: Goa Tourism is the Directorate of Tourism for the state of Goa, focused on leisure, beach, and event-driven tourism. Highly comparable to Maharashtra Tourism in mandate (destination marketing, infrastructure development, heritage promotion) and Indian state-level scope.
• Madhya Pradesh Tourism: Madhya Pradesh Tourism promotes wildlife, heritage, and Buddhist circuit tourism in central India. Comparable as a state tourism board with UNESCO-listed sites and major destination development programs running in parallel to Maharashtra's heritage and Buddhist circuits.
• Karnataka Tourism: Karnataka Tourism operates as the state tourism body for Karnataka, covering heritage sites, hill stations, and wildlife tourism. Directly comparable peer in mandate, scale, and diversity of tourism assets in a similarly large Indian state.
• Rajasthan Tourism: Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation manages heritage, palace, and cultural tourism for a major Indian state. Directly comparable to MTDC in operating state tourism infrastructure (hotels, forts) and running heritage circuits similar to Maharashtra's circuit strategy.
• Gujarat Tourism: Gujarat Tourism operates as the state tourism department for Gujarat, running circuits covering heritage, wildlife, and beaches. Directly comparable peer given parallel state-level tourism mandate, policy framework, and infrastructure investment program.
• Kerala Tourism: Kerala Tourism is India's most decorated state tourism department, responsible for promoting Kerala's destinations, beaches, backwaters, and festivals. It is a directly comparable peer given its parallel role as a state-level tourism promotion, infrastructure, and policy body.
• Tamil Nadu Tourism: Tamil Nadu Tourism promotes temple circuits, heritage destinations, and beaches across another major Indian state. Comparable in promoting pilgrimage/heritage circuits and managing state-level tourism infrastructure investments at scale.

Broad incumbents

• Ministry of Tourism, India (Incredible India): The central Ministry of Tourism operates the Incredible India campaign and sets nationwide tourism policy that frames state-level activities like Maharashtra's. Comparable as the parent/incumbent regulator rather than a direct competitor, coordinating and partly funding Maharashtra's tourism schemes.
• Visit Dubai (Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing): Visit Dubai is a government-backed destination marketing organization that combines events, festivals, and infrastructure promotion. Comparable in function as a government tourism body using event-driven marketing (similar to ImagiNxt and Gen O), MICE attraction, and digital campaigns.
• Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT): TAT is the national tourism board promoting Thailand internationally with experience-driven, event-based marketing. Useful peer for benchmarking how a government tourism board runs integrated global campaigns, MICE bureau functions, and circuit marketing at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maha_tourism
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@maharashtratourismofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/MaharashtraTourismOfficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/maharashtratourismofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maharashtra-tourism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maharashtra Tourism