Tourism statistics not furnished correctly by MTDC: CAG

According to the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) had no system of collecting tourist statistics.
    
The report said the Centre, with the consent of the state government, had appointed A C Neilsen as consultant for collecting tourist survey statistics in 2008.
    
However, it was noticed that the consultant had furnished only the data related to number of tourists who had arrived in the state. MTDC did not insist for other details necessary for analysing the scope for further tourism development, it added.
    
No structured mechanism for collecting tourist statistics was developed in the state by the MTDC even after expiry of the first four years of ope rationalising of the tourism policy, the report stated.
    
According to the tourist data available with the CAG, out of the 137.18 lakh foreign tourists who visited India in 2010 only 19.99 lakh came to Maharashtra. "This was just 7.77% of the total tourist inflow," the report added.
    
The report said that the total tourist inflow in 2009-10 in the state had seen an increase of 13.83% over the previous year.
    
But, only 2.07% of the domestic and foreign tourists availed accommodation in MTDC's resorts and hotels, it added.