Pune district tourism plan features paragliding, hot air balloon fest
Pune: A comprehensive tourism development plan for the Pune district — featuring international paragliding competitions in Mulshi, a grand cycling challenge across all tehsils, hot air balloon festivals in Baramati and Indapur, and water sports at Pawna dam — was presented in a review meeting chaired by deputy chief minister and Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar at the Mantralaya, officials said on Tuesday.
The plan presented on Monday also includes the promotion of the district's forts, ancient temples, scenic ghats, and cultural events such as music, theatre, storytelling, poetry readings, and folk-art festivals. Adventure activities like motorboating and zip-lining have been proposed to provide tourists with immersive and thrilling experiences. The initiatives are part of a sustainable tourism push that aims to unlock the untapped tourism potential of the Pune district.
Ajit Pawar stressed the need to put Pune firmly on the country's tourism map by leveraging its heritage sites, temples, and folk traditions. He directed Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi to ensure that a comprehensive tourism development plan is prepared.
During the meeting, Pawar pointed out that while 79% of foreign tourists in Maharashtra visit Mumbai, only 14% make their way to Pune.
'With consistent implementation of this plan, we aim to increase annual tourist footfall in Pune district to 40 lakh in the next three years and one crore in the next five. This will add ₹10,000–15,000 crore to the district's GDP and create over 50,000 direct jobs and 5 lakh indirect employment opportunities,' he said.
Pawar added that events such as paragliding competitions, cycling challenges, balloon festivals, and cultural fairs will be held annually on fixed dates to ensure consistency and build brand identity.
'These initiatives will give Pune a new tourism identity,' he said.
Officials developing Pune's tourism blueprint have studied successful models from other states, such as Gujarat's Rann Utsav, Arunachal Pradesh's Ziro Festival, Rajasthan's Jaipur Literature Festival, and Nagaland's Hornbill Festival.
Ajit Pawar emphasised the need to collaborate with tourism experts, institutions, and private organisations to execute the plan effectively.
Focus on Bhimashankar, Sinhagad fort
The meeting also reviewed development plans for the Bhimashankar temple area and the historic Sinhagad Fort. Pawar instructed officials to undertake new projects that enhance the pilgrimage and heritage value of both sites while preserving their architectural and cultural essence.
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