UNIT-V

M.P Tourism
The Madhya Pradesh tourism department has claimed that inflow of tourists have
doubled this year as compared to last year.
This year, 15.05 crore tourists, including 3.63 lakh foreigners, visited the state. Last
year tourist arrivals to the state was around 7.5 crore. The department said that
the inflow has increased because of a slew of initiatives taken by the government
to promote the state as a preferred destination.

Madhya Pradesh’s foreign tourists are just a trickle and faith-driven pilgrims make
up the bulk of domestic tourists. The state has failed to market its potential the
way, say, Rajasthan and Kerala have done.
Poor connectivity, especially air connectivity, and infrastructure deficit remain the
main hurdles despite the state government spending millions of rupees to attract
private investors in the tourism sector. Perhaps some amount of neglect and
lethargy is working against the push to attract tourists.
A prime example is the rail connectivity to the world heritage site, Khajuraho, a
major tourist attraction. The rail link was inaugurated just two days ago.
The state has just five of the country’s 125 major airports,
most of which, barring Indore and Bhopal, are not at all
connected with the rest of India.
Dilapidated roads are another bugbear that keeps tourists
away from the attractive but off-the track locations.

‘MP is still perceived as a hinterland destination’

The tourism department’s annual plan for 2016-17 says:
“The overall relatively smaller foreign tourist arrivals, as
compared to some states like Rajasthan, Goa or Kerala,
are due to the fact that MP is still perceived as a
hinterland destination which lacks adequate connectivity.”
The percentage of foreign tourists visiting the
state is a mere .54% in 2015. It has not changed
much since 2010, when compared to 3.83 crore
domestic tourists, the number of foreigners
visiting the state was just 2.5 lakh.

“MP is a big state. Unless air connectivity within

the state and outside improves, the number of
foreign tourists is not going to increase,” said
Sangik Sengupta, who runs Mowgli Den in
Pench.
Accommodation shortage during peak season is common
Accommodation shortage during the peak season is common
in major tourist destinations such as Pachmarhi and Khajuraho.
This happens despite the state having around 13,500 hotel
rooms, including nearly 900 of the Madhya Pradesh State
Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC).

To do away with the infrastructure deficit, the tourism

department has set a goal to double the number of rooms this
year.

Govt trying to woo investors who can set up resorts and

hotels
Against this backdrop, the government is trying to woo
investors who can set up resorts and hotels on 500 acres in 22
land parcels earmarked at tourist spots across the state.
In September, a month ahead of the global investors’
summit in Indore, the government unveiled its new
tourism policy. The policy allows incentivised investment
in the tourism sector across the state, unlike in the past
when only 13 special tourism zones were open for
investment.
The MPSTDC’s tourism promotion unit director, AK
Rajoria, said the objective is to increase accommodation
facilities. “If needed, we have to increase hotel rooms to
at least 25,000. For this, we need investors who can
build hotels and resorts. Some investors have shown
interest. We are hoping more people will invest in the
tourism sector in the global investors’ meet,” he said.
Tourism circuit of M.P

These are Orchha-Gwalior-Shivpuri-

Khajuraho, Indore-Ujjain-Omkareshwar-
Maheshwar-Mandu circuit, Jabalpur-
Bhedaghat-Mandla-Kanha-Bandhavgarh-
Amarkantak and Bhopal-Sanchi-Bhojpur-Bhim
Bethka-Pachmarhi.
1. Route: Sanchi – Bhopal – Bhojpur – Bhimbetka – Pachmarhi

2. Route: Gwalior – Shivpuri – Orchha – Khajuraho

3. Route: Jabalpur – Bhedaghat – Mandla – Kanha – Bandhavgarh

4. Route: Indore – Ujjain – Maheshwar – Omkareshwar – Mandu