With virgin silver white beaches along the Arabian Sea, to majestic hills to unique flora and fauna and a rich heritage, the coastal Konkan belt district of Sindhudurg is being transformed into an international destination to find a spot in the world tourism map.
“Sindhudurg has everything except snow-capped mountains and desert. Anyone who visits this place, comes back again with more time in hand,” Education and Marathi Language Minister Deepak Kesarkar said on Saturday while inaugurating the Amboli Monsoon Festival in Sindhudurg.
There are three airports in the vicinity of Sindhudurg - Chipi Airport in Sindhudurg, Manohar International Airport in Goa, and Belagavi Airport in Karnataka.
Kesarkar has also requested Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to take up the issue with the Centre to ensure that the Madgaon-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express also stops at Sindhudurg.
Kesarkar, who hails from Sindhudurg, said that the district has everything to attract tourists. “Whether it is adventure tourism like trekking, mountaineering, rock-climbing, valley crossing, or scuba diving, we have it all covered in Sindhudurg,” said Kesarkar.
There are forts related to Maratha history, he said, noting that the hill, land, and sea forts are a major attraction for trekkers.
Among those present at the launch of Amboli Monsoon Festival include Sindhudurg Collector K Manjulekshmi, Superintendent of Police Saurabh Kumar Agrawal, Deputy Conservator of Forest Navkishore Reddy, Tourism Directorate’s Deputy Director Hanumant Hede and Amboli Sarpanch Savitri Palekar.
The Directorate of Tourism and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is working on several new initiatives to transform Sindhudurg as an international destination and are speaking to various stakeholders and locals.
Sindhudurg is accessible by road on the NH-17 which passes through major towns of Kankavli, Kudal, and Sawantwadi; or by the picturesque journey on the Konkan Railway which stops at Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Kudal, and Sawantwadi.
Published 13 August 2023, 09:26 IST