Maharashtra and Kerala will join hands to devise a project for attracting tourists, both domestic and foreign, to their respective states. The states will also promote tourism abroad.
According to press release issued by the Kerala Tourism department, a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting in Mumbai recently in which Kerala tourism minister K V Thomas and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chagan Bhujbal participated.
The two ministers, after their discussions, had said each state would apprise its tourists of the tourism specialties of the other.
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This would be mutually beneficial to both the states in the long run, they added.
The ministers said efforts had already begun to divert tourists towards India from West Asia, who were avoiding tourist destinations in America and Europe, especially after the September 11 attacks.
Bhujbal and Thomas were part of the team that had recently been to the Gulf countries for promoting tourism.
Kerala is a favourite destination for Ayurveda treatment and plans are in the pipeline for setting up Ayurveda resorts and treatment centres in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
An understanding was also reached for joint participation of the states in tourism fairs abroad.