The Maharashtra Tourism Department is effectively implementing its ‘AAI’ (Women-Centric/Gender-Inclusive Tourism) Policy to boost women’s economic empowerment and increase their participation in the tourism sector. Under this policy, a special five-point action plan and a range of concessions have been announced to help women achieve financial self-reliance. The department has urged more women entrepreneurs across the state, including those in rural areas, to make the most of this opportunity.
Financial support for women entrepreneurs lies at the heart of the ‘AAI’ policy. Women who take loans of up to ₹15 lakh from recognised banks to set up tourism ventures are eligible for interest reimbursement of up to 12%, credited directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts by the Tourism Department. This benefit is available for up to seven years or up to a ceiling of ₹4.5 lakh, whichever comes first.
The Honourable Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Shambhuraj Desai, said, “The AAI Tourism Policy is strengthening Maharashtra’s tourism economy by integrating women’s empowerment with tourism development. The policy has opened the door for women to build their own businesses in the tourism sector, and women across the state have responded with genuine enthusiasm, with many now running successful ventures. I encourage more women to take full advantage of this scheme and step confidently into the tourism sector.”
A wide range of businesses qualify under the scheme, including homestays, hotels, restaurants, cafes, tour and travel agencies, agro-tourism ventures, tourist villas, adventure tourism operations, houseboats, handicraft stores, and Ayurveda and yoga centres. To be eligible, a tourism business must be registered with the Maharashtra Tourism Department and be entirely owned by a woman.
The government has encouraged women looking to start a new business or expand an existing one to come forward and apply for the scheme. Interested women entrepreneurs can register on the Tourism Department’s official website, www.maharashtratourism.gov.in. The policy has seen particularly strong participation from the Konkan, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nashik divisions.
By integrating women’s empowerment, employment generation, and tourism development, the ‘AAI’ Tourism Policy is enabling women across Maharashtra to build sustainable livelihoods while fostering a more inclusive, safer, and better-equipped tourism ecosystem for long-term growth.
