The Maharashtra Tourism Department is pushing to get young people involved in tourism and create more jobs in the sector through a new Youth Tourism Policy. The department is asking schools and colleges across the state to adopt the policy, which is already shaping how students think about travel, heritage, and responsible tourism.
Student Ambassadors for Tourism
Under the initiative, schools and colleges are establishing Youth Tourism Clubs, with students serving as ambassadors to promote the state’s tourism sector. These clubs will be set up in every recognized school teaching Classes 7 to 10 and in colleges throughout Maharashtra.
The goal is to give students the knowledge and confidence to become genuine advocates for the country’s tourism, someone who understands its heritage and culture well enough to talk about it convincingly, whether at home or abroad.
Along the way, students will develop skills such as teamwork, leadership, basic management, and a spirit of service while also learning what sustainable, responsible tourism looks like in practice.
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Getting Students Outdoors
The Central Government has put together a detailed handbook for the clubs, covering everything from their core purpose and planned activities to their structure and expectations for each member. Club members won’t just be learning in a classroom. They’ll be expected to get out and explore nearby tourist spots, help look after them, and pitch in with tree planting, cleanliness drives, and other community awareness efforts at these sites.
Similar educational outreach programs have worked in other states when it comes to conservation awareness, though the effectiveness often depends on how seriously schools take the extracurricular component rather than treating it as paperwork. The real test will be whether students actually visit sites regularly or if the clubs become just another checkbox activity.
Registration Requirements
The following documents are required for registration with the Directorate of Tourism: Aadhaar numbers of all student members, Aadhaar numbers of the teacher and student coordinator, the proposal submitted with the signature of the Headmaster or Principal, and after the club is established, a report regarding visits to tourist sites accompanied by photographs must be submitted with the Principal’s signature.
Vikas Pansare (IAS), Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said the state government is working on multiple fronts to put Maharashtra Tourism on the global map, and this policy fits into that larger push. “We want children to grow up aware of what responsible and sustainable tourism actually means, and we hope more and more schools and colleges will come forward to support this initiative.”
