@aphale_esha
Mumbai: The Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to many imperative activities that states and countries conducted throughout the year. One such activity has been tourism and travel. Travel restrictions imposed by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) stopped acculturation and the maintenance of healthy relations between nations.
The state of Maharashtra and Taiwan should come together to promote tourist relations and make an effort towards curbing the dead-end created due to the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
While the rapid spread of the virus and its variants doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, it does not mean that we should slow down our life. The least that we could do is learn to adjust and mold our lives within the confines of the pandemic to help us prosper and start navigating a life of normalcy.
With its bustling and diverse population, infrastructural growth, and resources, Maharashtra can help promote tourist spots in Taiwan by organizing exhibitions in major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad Nashik, Kolhapur, amongst many others.
These exhibitions can help students, and prospective travelers map out their travels, determine what city in Taiwan best fits their travel needs and the logistics. The exhibitions can also promote education and jobs in Taiwan and act as liaisons to cement relations between Maharashtra and Taiwan.
On the flip side, Taiwan can also mimic these exhibitions in its major cities and display the rich culture of Maharashtra and promote fort tourism, coastal tourism, forest tourism, and temple tourism. While Taiwan does not lack Maharashtra’s culture, it triumphs in a very different type of culture.
Parallels can be drawn between the infrastructure, forts, and temples; there is also a clear line of distinction that makes tourism promotion between the two places fruitful.
Places in Taiwan, like Kenting National Park, can easily remind one of the coastal ghats in the Konkan belt. With its greenery, beautiful lakes, and mountains, Taroko National Park is an ode to Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra. The Longshan Temple in Taiwan has its similarities with our famous Lord Ganesha temple at Ganpatipule, with its deep-rooted tradition and culture. Sahyadri hills and Tarkarli scuba diving are much sought-after tourist attractions in Maharashtra.
Such places further establish that Taiwan and Maharashtra should strengthen and build upon their tourism ties, as business and investment opportunities are viable and already underway.
Something unique that the state of Maharashtra has to offer is the existence of Bollywood. Whether it’s low-budget or high-budget movies, a Bollywood production is always extravagant and over-the-top, in a distinct way. Bollywood is an identity marker for Indians and the country of India alike due to its high production values, exotic shoot locations, and, most importantly, the Bollywood stars and celebrities.
Time and again, it’s been proven that by attaching a Bollywood celebrity to a brand, its values sky-rockets. This trend has helped the state tourism flourish, namely the state of Gujarat and its extensive promotion done by the celebrated personality, Amitabh Bachchan. Places like Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Lukang, amongst others, can also serve as one of the much-needed and staple, exotic locations in Bollywood movies.
To introduce the culture of Indian cinema in a foreign place like Taiwan, a place that has a similar yet distinct culture, Hindi and Marathi film festivals can take place there. It would provide exposure and a new audience to Indian films that deserve said exposure. Movies like Killa and Fandry can convey the simple, yet rustic and scenic Maharashtra in this authentic way.
Something similar, a Taiwanese film fest, could also be organized in Maharashtra to introduce the population to the Taiwanese culture. At the end of the day, it is art, understood and misunderstood, that bridges the gaps between cultures that may have virtually no commonalities; and, in turn, metamorphoses them together.
By Esha Aphale
The writer is a student of International Relations and Journalism, who is an avid reader and has a keen interest in world affairs.
