Coal Mine Tourism in India Draws Tourists

The third largest state of India by size and the second largest by population, Maharashtra is now attracting tourists with its mines. The initiative was first launched two years ago with opening of the eco-friendly Mine Tourism Circuit at a small town of Saoner, on the banks of the Kolar River near Nagpur. With its ecomomy driven mostly by coal mining, Saoner offers an excellent opportunity to have a glimpse of real life of coal miners. This year, over 145.000 tourists have already visited the site.

Following the success of the Mine Tourism Circuit, a similar activity is now offered by Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL) at Rajpur, in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra with four more coal mines are preparing to welcome tourists in Madhya Pradesh, a Central Indian state, and Jharkhand state, in the east, also rich in mineral resorces, studying the possibility of joining the club.

The success of this alternative type of tourism reflects the global tendency among the travellers with the main focus of travel shifting from top world-known tourist attractions to a more hands-on and like-a-local experiences.

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