MTDC, State Govt launch ‘AAI’ Policy to encourage women in tourism sector

The policy offers interest-free loans of up to INR 15 lakh and an interest-reimbursement facility for seven years to women entrepreneurs looking to start a tourism business.

Maharashtra Government and the Maharashtra Tourism Department recently launched ‘AAI’ Policy to empower women across the state and boost tourism. Under this policy, women are offered multiple opportunities to develop business and leadership skills within the tourism sector.

The policy offers interest-free loans of up to INR 15 lakh and an interest-reimbursement facility for seven years to women entrepreneurs looking to start a tourism business. The response to the initiative has been good. As part of the initiative, 4,200 applications have been received, indicating high interest among women entrepreneurs. Out of these 4,200 applications, 3,292 Letters of Intent have been generated, which is a good achievement for any government initiative.

As part of the initiative, 900 loans have been sanctioned, amounting to INR 72.49 crore. In addition, INR 1.67 crore has been sanctioned for interest reimbursement, indicating that the government is financially supporting women entrepreneurs. The policy is receiving a good response from the Konkan, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Nashik divisions.

The five pillars of the ‘Aai’ Tourism Policy are promoting women's entrepreneurship, developing infrastructure for women, ensuring the safety of women tourists, providing customised services and concessions for women tourists, and promoting tourism in general. 

According to the policy, in every taluka of the state, up to ten tourism-related business enterprises owned and run by women, registered with the Directorate of Tourism, will be provided support for the interest on loans of up to INR15 lakh taken from any bank. The interest amount will be directly transferred by the government to the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the women entrepreneurs, at a maximum rate of 12%. This support will be provided for a maximum of seven years, whichever is earlier: until the loan is fully paid or INR 4.5 lakh is reached, with certain conditions.

To qualify for the loan, the tourism business registered with the Directorate of Tourism must be owned and operated by a woman. In the case of women-owned tour and travel agencies, at least 50% of the employees must be women. For the female employees working in tourism businesses registered with the Directorate, such as female tour guides, female drivers, and female tour operators, will be registered under insurance schemes conducted by the central or state government. The government will pay the insurance premiums for the first five years.

A 20% discount on tourism circuits and packages arranged through tour operators of the MTDC would be provided to women tourists. Special tours for senior women citizens, women with disabilities, women-only one-day city tours, adventure tours, trekking tours, and more, would also be arranged. The policy aims to boost the economic empowerment of women and the tourism sector as a whole.

Shambhuraj Desai, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra said, “Through the implementation of the ‘Aai’ Tourism Policy, the self-reliance of women in the state is getting a new direction in both rural and urban areas, and the state's tourism industry is also getting a boost through the expansion of the tourism sector, making it a prominent role player in the development of the state's tourism landscape in the near future.”

“This scheme has already helped many women, including women travellers, across the state. The policy aims to support women’s economic development and boost the state’s tourism industry,” said Sanjay Khandare (IAS), Principal Secretary (Tourism), Government of Maharashtra.

Dr. B. N. Patil (IAS), Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra stated, “The Aai Tourism Policy has been implemented to encourage women's empowerment and women-centric tourism. This is gradually increasing women's involvement in the tourism industry. Women receive financial incentives under this scheme to establish tourism-related enterprises. Similarly, this policy has ensured the safety and convenience of women tourists. The tourism industry can be expected to develop rapidly with women entrepreneurs leading the charge.”