The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has already invited proposals for the state’s beaches to become popular water sports destinations with activities like jet-skiing, parasailing, water rafting at Vasai, Alibaug, Murud, Ganpatipule and Malvan beaches, amongst others. The government believes this is one way to tap into the tourism market in the state, which receives about 6.6 crore domestic visitors and 50 lakh foreign tourists a year, said a report in this paper yesterday.

It also stated that the idea has met with good response, and the MMB hopes that with this, they can bring down the rates of good quality water sports facilities for tourists. Currently, water sports remain the domain of private operators and so, they do charge exorbitant rates for the same.