Mumbai Tourism Takes Centre Stage with New City Destination Branding Plan

The Mumbai City Collectorate has begun work on a year-long tourism branding initiative aimed at giving Mumbai a stronger and distinct identity as a tourism destination. The vision was presented at a pre-launch Travel Media and Trade Meet held in Mumbai in both online and in-person formats.

The Mumbai Tourism Initiative is being led by the Collectorate of Mumbai City with support from the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). The programme seeks to bring greater attention to the city's diverse tourism experiences, including its heritage, culture, lesser-known attractions and immersive experiences, while strengthening Mumbai's presence on India's and the global tourism map.

Addressing travel media and trade representatives, Aanchal Sood Goyal, IAS, Collector, Mumbai City, said the initiative comes at an important time, coinciding with the completion of 100 years of the District Collectorate, Mumbai, and the 50th anniversary of MTDC. She highlighted the need to connect Mumbai's varied tourism offerings and establish the city as a distinct tourism identity within the wider Maharashtra tourism framework.

MTDC Managing Director Neelesh R. Gatne, IAS, expressed support for the initiative and said a structured focus on city tourism could help Mumbai emerge as an example for similar tourism initiatives across Maharashtra. He also emphasised collaboration between district administrations and the tourism sector.

The meeting was chaired by Sood Goyal, while Chandrashekhar Jaiswal, General Manager, MTDC, welcomed members of the travel media and trade. Manasi Kothare, coordinating officer for the Mumbai Tourism Initiative and Head of Business Development, MTDC, reviewed suggestions received from stakeholders and proposed the vote of thanks.

The event brought together senior representatives from the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, along with leaders of several national and regional industry associations. Among those present were Ravi Gosain, President, IATO; Subhash Goyal, Chairman, ICC Aviation & Tourism Experts Committee; Ajeet Bajaj, President, ATOAI; Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI; Abbas Moiz, President, TAFI; Ved Khanna, President, ADTOI; Surendra Jaiswal, President, FHRAI; Jagant Mehta, President, ETAA; Ashish Gupta, CEO, FAITH; Chander Mansharamani, Vice Chairman, ICPB; and Rajesh Arya, President, GAEHP, among other industry leaders.

The interaction provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the city's tourism potential and share suggestions on how Mumbai's tourism ecosystem can be strengthened. The participation of major industry bodies also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the government, travel trade, hospitality sector and media in building a stronger tourism proposition for the city.

With the initiative planned as a year-long exercise, the focus will now be on identifying and showcasing the many facets of Mumbai beyond its well-known landmarks. The Collectorate and MTDC are expected to work with tourism stakeholders to build greater awareness of the city's heritage, culture, experiences and lesser-known attractions among domestic and international visitors.