Improve Aurangabad's night life to boost tourism: Stakeholders

Aurangabad: Several stakeholders have stressed the need for improving the city's night life to boost tourism.

During a meeting on promoting tourism held here on Monday, hoteliers, travel agents, tourist guides and others observed that the city needs facilities for entertaining visitors in the evening hours. Such facilities would attract a large number of foreign and domestic tourists and extend their stay in Aurangabad, they said.

The civic body called a special meeting of all the agencies concerned on the premises of Marathwada Mukti Sangram Memorial to discuss a strategy for promoting tourism. Representatives of hotel and restaurant associations said the city lacks night life, which is quite essential.

Abrahim Pathrose, an architect consultant, said the municipal body should organise events such as mushairas at Town Hall to boost tourism. "These events would make people's visit to Aurangabad more exciting," he said, adding that such facilities are available in other tourists places.

Though the city witnesses a huge number of tourists, both foreign and domestic, throughout the year, it is devoid of any night life. Most of the shopping malls, restaurants and commercial units down shutters after 9pm.

Besides, the stakeholders also urged the municipal body to improve the public transport system and roads to boost tourism. "Poor condition of city roads and unsatisfactory management of solid waste is creating a negative impact on tourism," they said.

In the meantime, municipal commissioner Om Prakash Bakoria talked about a slew of measures the civic body is planning to implement to assist tourists. "We are setting up kiosks at three strategic locations from where the tourists could get all the required information. The tourism department of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University will be assisting us in operating the kiosks," he said.

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation will also organise light and sound show near the world famous Bibi-ka-Maqbara. The show will be similar to those held at the Gateway of India in Mumbai and Shaniwarwada in Pune. As part of the initiative, the civic body will decorate the monument with attractive lighting and play music accordingly.

Bakoria said beautification of the historical gates would be done in coming days.