Anjali Pokhriyal
The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board recently organised a workshop ‘MP Tourism Masterclass’ on July 4, 2024 at the Madhya Pradesh Bhawan, New Delhi. The workshop was aimed at promoting Madhya Pradesh as a top tourist destination, highlighting its rich and unique tourism experiences. Described as an “Offbeat Multispecialty Destination of First Choice,” the state offers a wide variety of attractions. This workshop showcased the state’s tourism offerings and encouraged collaboration among key industry stakeholders. The renowned ‘Tiger State of India’ with 785 tigers and Cheetah, has set a new tourism record in tourist footfalls in 2023 which is 112.1 million compared to 34.1 million in 2022.
Bidisha Mukherjee (IAS), Additional Managing Director Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board highlighted the boom in religious tourism in Madhya Pradesh along with the efforts that MPTB is taking to boost the number of tourist footfall. She said, “Ujjain, which is one of the most popular cities in MP from the religious point of view, has seen great success of its newly developed ‘Mahakal Lok’. Madhya Pradesh is expanding its religious tourism efforts with plans to develop three new religious destinations which are Devi Lok in Salkanpur, Hanuman Lok in Chhindwara, and Ram Raja Lok in Orchha. As you know, we host two major Jyotirling at Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar, and the newly created Mahakal Lok is attracting numerous tourists from India and abroad and if I talk about figures then from 32.1 million in 2022 to 112 million in 2023, we have seen steep rise and the numbers are bound to rise higher.”
When asked about the initiative that MPT is taking to boost inbound tourism she mentioned, “The MP Tourism Board is also engaging with international embassies to increase global tourist inflow. Many countries have shown a keen interest in Madhya Pradesh’s local festivals, including the Khajuraho Dance Festival and the Tansen Festival. We are in dialogue with various embassies, particularly in Finland. We were astonished to see there were many tourists who have been to our ‘Narmada Parikrama’. The embassies are very enthusiastic about our major festivals.” She also added that state is seeing a rise in popularity for rural homestays, with the help tourism board offering subsidies to local tribes for creating authentic accommodation experiences for tourists.
Talking about the future initiative that Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is taking to boost inbound tourism to state she proudly shared “Madhya Pradesh Tourism is leading the way in promoting solo women travellers with innovative initiatives backed by the Nirbhaya Fund. We’re proud to have trained 10,000 women across the state in various skills, including hospitality, self-defence, guiding, and driving. We’re also excited to announce the upcoming Handloom Café, staffed entirely by women, from security guards to top management. And for those visiting our national parks, you can now hire women forest guides, enhancing the experience for solo female travellers. These efforts aim to boost inbound tourism by making Madhya Pradesh a safe and welcoming destination for women from around the world.”
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