From the majestic UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Khajuraho and Sanchi to iconic national parks like Bandhavgarh and Kanha, Madhya Pradesh offers an unmatched blend of history, spirituality, and wildlife. Anirban Dasgupta spoke with Mr Yuvraj Padole, Deputy Director, Events, Marketing & Film Tourism, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board on new initiatives and projects.
On New Tourism Initiatives & Sustainable Tourism
Madhya Pradesh is a leading state when it comes to tourism. We have unique attractions that have earned us many #1 positions, such as being known as the tiger state of India and the heart of Incredible India. Wildlife tourism is our strongest tourism product, with Madhya Pradesh being the tiger, leopard, and most recently, cheetah state of India. However, there is more to our tourism offerings than just wildlife.
We have three UNESCO World Heritage sites – Sachi, Khajuraho, and Bhimbetka. Additionally, two more heritage sites are waiting to be enlisted in the UNESCO list, Orchha and Mandu, already proven extremely popular. Our heritage is rich, and our culture is diverse. Being the second largest state in India, each region in Madhya Pradesh has its own unique characteristics, including lifestyle, food, music, and traditions.
Despite the diversity, Madhya Pradesh remains strong and united. We are also focusing on other tourism areas, such as religious and spiritual tourism. We have developed places like Ujjain, where the honourable Prime Minister inaugurated the Mahakal Lok. This has significantly increased religious and spiritual tourism, with people from all over the country visiting these temples for worship and prayers. Notably, whenever someone visits these places they also travel to nearby cities like Indore, Bhopal, Mandu, Omkareshwar, and Maheshwar.
Speaking of Omkareshwar, it is another religious place in Madhya Pradesh. We have recently erected a 108-foot-tall statue called the Statue of Oneness, similar to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. This further adds to our diverse tourism offerings, allowing visitors to experience spiritual, natural, and wildlife attractions in one trip.
Responsible tourism is another area we are focusing on. This means involving the local community, government, and tourists in taking responsibility for developing and sustaining the environment. We work closely with the local community to improve infrastructure that benefits locals and tourists. This also generates employment opportunities and livelihoods for the community. Our goal is to systematically and sustainably develop destinations without compromising their character.
There are also several museums to showcase our history and heritage We utilize technology such as creating QR codes and developing apps with audiovisual information to enlighten visitors.
We also offer various activities like heritage walks, monsoon marathons, cycling events, and adventure tourism options like scuba diving, hot air ballooning, and skydiving. I believe in adapting to changing trends and patterns based on the demands of the travellers and tourism industry.
To attract investment, we actively promote tourism through films. By offering subsidies and creating film-friendly destinations, we encourage filmmakers to showcase Madhya Pradesh’s attractions, thus creating impressions and sending messages to potential tourists. Chanderi, for example, has become a hub of film tourism, attracting investments from hoteliers and further developing the destination.
- On Promotion and Media Strategies
Media, including print, electronic, and digital platforms, play a crucial role in promoting our tourism initiatives. We actively participate in domestic and international exhibitions like ITB Germany and SATTE. We also have international PR agencies working year-round to spread our films and audiovisual clips worldwide, as we believe that seeing is believing.
- On women’s Safety and security
For the safety of tourists, especially women travellers and solo women travellers, we have implemented various programs. These include skill development and training for local women (Paryatan sakhi) to work as tour leaders and guides. We communicate through different platforms and media that Madhya Pradesh is absolutely safe for solo women travellers and anyone who wants to travel alone. Additionally, we organize tours exclusively for women, such as Tigers on Trails, and various confidence-building exercises for women travellers.
- On attracting International Travellers
In terms of international travellers, we have adopted multiple activities to market Madhya Pradesh as a tourist destination. We attend and conduct various domestic and major international exhibitions. Our focus is on source markets like the US, Middle East, South East Asia, and England. We also work with international PR agencies and distribute films and audio-visual clips worldwide to showcase the beauty and attractions of Madhya Pradesh.
Photo : Unsplush
