The Maharashtra Tourism Department is making a fresh push to engage young people in tourism and, in the process, create more jobs in the sector. The department is asking schools and colleges across the state to adopt its Youth Tourism Policy, which has already begun to shape how students think about travel, heritage, and responsible tourism.
Under the initiative, schools and colleges are establishing Youth Tourism Clubs, with students serving as “Youth Tourism Ambassadors” to promote the state’s tourism sector.
Under the new policy, Youth Tourism Clubs will be set up in every recognised school (Classes 7 to 10) and college across the state. The idea is to give students the knowledge and confidence to become genuine ambassadors 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.
To support this rollout, 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.
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.”
The following documents are required for registration with the Directorate of Tourism:
a) Aadhaar numbers of all student members.
b) Aadhaar numbers of the teacher and student coordinator.
c) The proposal must be submitted with the signature of the Headmaster/Principal.
d) After the club is established, a report regarding visits to tourist sites accompanied by photographs must be submitted with the Principal’s signature.