Tag Archives: Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board

IATO Convention 2024: Desperate stakeholders arguing Tourism!

India’s inbound tourism paints a very gloomy picture ahead. In the absence of adequate promotion, initiatives and funding, the inbound recovery was far from satisfactory the last year. However, and to the industry’s absolute chagrin, 2024 has been no different so far, probably even worse than the last year, amidst some clear indication that we would likely miss the bus in 2025 as well.

Furthermore, as if a host of unfriendly measures like shutting down overseas Indian tourism offices, discontinuation of scheme that earned the inbound operators incentives on the foreign exchange they earned, among others, were not enough, the 2024-25 Union Budget further plunged the industry, already tottering on the brink, in abject misery.

The recently concluded, 39th edition of IATO Convention, was organised at a time when eyes and expectations are on the post-Covid recovery and the growth thereafter. And in that context, probably the biggest highlight of the event was the lingering scrutiny throughout the three-day event of the government’s commitment to inbound tourism, voiced amply and repeatedly by stakeholders representing IATO and other industry associations and stakeholders.

There were some very strong suggestions, opinions, and demands, made during the events by the likes of IATO President Rajiv Mehra; Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL); Ajay Bakaya, MD, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts; Vikram Madhok, MD, Abercrombie & Kent, Amaresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman, ICPB and Board Member – FAITH; among others, with regard to the current state of inbound tourism and the initiatives that are required.

While welcoming Union Minister Tourism and Culture at the inauguration, Mehra expressed hope that under the new Tourism Minister’s leadership, the industry will get full support from the Ministry and overseas promotions will restart. He also requested the Minister to re-instate MDA scheme for the tour operators which has been discontinued for last 3-4 years. “This has resulted in tour operators not being able to do overseas promotion and participate in overseas travel marts,” Mehra lamented.

Reinstatement of schemes such as SEIS that not only motivates and rewards inbound operators on the foreign exchange that they earn, but also aids their individual overseas marketing efforts, an efficient and better-funded Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme, putting up trained manpower at embassies overseas to undertake effective promotional work, undertaking different overseas promotion initiatives and regular interaction with foreign tour operators through roadshows, better budgetary support to Ministry of Tourism, advance planning and information for overseas promotion, development of new source markets, organising destination showcase thorough familiarisation trips for FTOs, journalists and influencers, prominently figured in various discourse and suggestions that took place at the IATO Convention.

The three-day event, themed ‘Resurgent India Inbound’ was organised along with a number of business sessions sought to not only, among others, highlight the immense socio-economic and job dividend that the country can benefit from by leveraging inbound tourism, but also highlighted the poor recovery in the aftermath of pandemic and the little support or attention that the inbound tourism sector has been given, amply demonstrated by India’s despondently poor show in attracting foreign tourist so far. Notably, the country earned foreign exchange in excess of USD 30 billion (INR 2,11,661 crore) in 2019, its best year till date.

However, Foreign Tourist Arrival figure is 2023 was still short by a lamentable over 15 per cent in comparison to the peak 2019 numbers, and the situation has not improved much in 2024, because of India’s heavy reliance on fewer source markets. The H1, 2024 inbound numbers were still lagging by 10 per cent, but that was before the Bangladesh, India’s number one tourism source market contributing nearly a quarter of the total FTAs, crisis. Given the continuing political upheaval there, India’s overall FTA number till date is probably worse off than the corresponding 2023 period.

Mehra also highlighted that over the years IATO Conventions have played critical role in showcasing and establishing destinations inbound profile and Madhya Pradesh as the host of the 39th Annual IATO Convention will reap big rewards with increased inbound visitations in the coming years. The delegates were treated with 10 richly crafted post-convention tours covering prominent sites such as Khajuraho Temples, Sanchi Stupa, the prehistoric cave paintings of Bhimbetka, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with other prominent sites, such as Mandu, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Panchmarhi, Shivpuri, its rich wildlife, culture, among others, in order to unlock state’s inbound potential.

The event was attended by Dr. Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister, of Madhya Pradesh; Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture; Rajendra Shukla, Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi, Tourism & Culture Minister of Madhya Pradesh; M.R. Synrem, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary – Tourism, Government of Madhya Pradesh & MD, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Bidisha Mukherjee, Additional MD, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Dr. Ilayaraja T, MD Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. and senior Government officials from Union Ministry of Tourism and Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Department, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.

More than 1,200 delegates attended the event. IATO’s famous Hall of Fame award was bestowed upon IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal and Late M.L Razdan of Razdan Holidays.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism signs MoU with MakeMyTrip & redBus

In a significant move to boost tourism in the state, the Department of Tourism, Madhya Pradesh, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with MakeMyTrip and redBus. This strategic partnership aims to foster sustainable tourism development and promote Madhya Pradesh as a premier tourist destination.

The MOU outlines a mutual commitment to promote homestays in Madhya Pradesh, a known method to increase rural and urban incomes, provide sustainable alternate streams of income, and boost low-carbon tourism in the state. The company will also provide offline and online training sessions to existing and upcoming homestay operators to help them understand the various nuances of promoting and running such properties effectively. Further, MakeMyTrip will collaborate with the tourism department to intensify the focus on promoting pilgrimage and wildlife-led travel experiences that the state has to offer through its platform.

redBus will be recognised as the official “Online Bus Ticketing Partner” by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and will work to help travellers discover the far reaches of the state. redBus will also bring the various festivals and events that are unique to Madhya Pradesh closer to travellers across the country.

Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, said, “Madhya Pradesh is a treasure trove of enriching experiences with the largest number of land-based wildlife national reserves in India and numerous cultural and religious sites transcending ages within its confines. We are committed to showcasing our state with pride and curating newer experiences to suit modern travellers across age groups. We believe this collaboration will help us tap into newer approaches and avenues to support our goal in a conscious, sustainable and equitable manner.”

Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, “Madhya Pradesh holds a prominent place in India’s tourism landscape. Our attempt with this collaboration is to garner greater visibility for tourist destinations in the state, leveraging the strengths of our platform. This includes our growing homestays segment, as well as spiritual and wildlife tourism. Our expansive footprint and proven track record in delivering innovative solutions make us uniquely positioned to contribute to the tourism sector in Madhya Pradesh.”

Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus, said, “We are thrilled to be recognized as the official ‘Online Bus Ticketing Partner’ by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. When it comes to travel, discovery of any place is much more in-depth when travelling by road. We firmly believe that this strategic collaboration will not just enhance travel experiences for our customers but also contribute to an enriched discovery of the state’s hidden gems and experiences.”

 

Tourism set to get boost post arrival of cheetahs in MP’s Kuno National Park: Hoteliers

Tourism around Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur National Park (KPNP) is likely to get a fillip once it becomes the new home of cheetahs which are being brought from Namibia in Africa as part of an intercontinental translocation project, according to people associated with the hospitality industry.

New jobs will also be created for local residents as tourist inflow will grow manifold, they said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release cheetahs brought from Namibia in the national park located in Sheopur district of the state on Saturday as part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify the country’s wildlife and habitat, his office said in New Delhi.

The wild cats are being brought from Namibia under an MoU signed earlier this year.

There is excitement among local residents as they eagerly wait for the spotted guests from Africa to arrive at the national park.

“People here are very enthusiastic. We are constructing a resort at Morawan on around 6-bigha (around two acres) land which will have 14 rooms, a swimming pool, a restaurant and other amenities for tourists,” Rishiraj Singh Palpur, who belongs to an erstwhile royal family, told PTI.

The tourist facility is around 15km away from the national park’s main entry gate, he said.

He said presence of cheetahs in the national park will increase tourist footfalls and lead to improvement in facilities for visitors in Sheopur district and its adjoining areas.

Ashok Sarraf, the owner of a “Midway Treat” franchise of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, expressed hope business will grow after September 17, when the Prime Minister is scheduled to release the cheetahs in specially built enclosures inside the wildlife sanctuary.

He said a hotel is also being constructed under the franchise of the MP Tourism Board in Sheopur.

Manoj Sarraf, the owner of an under-construction hotel and resort on Sheopur-Sawai Madhopur Road, said his facility will have 35 rooms along with a swimming pool, a meeting hall, gym and other amenities.

The cheetah reintroduction project will ensure development of the area and generation of employment through tourism as the national park will acquire a special place in the country’s wildlife map, he said.

Besides people involved in the hospitality industry, residents of villages like Morawan, Sesaipura, Tiktoli, Adwada, Hathedi and Chakrana are also enthusiastic about the project.

This project will bring development in the area and cheetahs will become main attraction for tourists, said Kamal Singh, a resident of Sesaipura, a village located near the park’s entry.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was in Sheopur on September 11 to review preparations for the translocation project, has announced to set up five skill camps, where the locals will be given training for employment related to the hospitality industry.

Eight cheetahs will be brought to Jaipur in Rajasthan from Namibia on Saturday in a cargo aircraft and flown to the national park the same day, officials have said.

According to MP Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) JS Chauhan, the cargo plane bringing the big cats is scheduled to land at the airport in Jaipur between 6 am to 7 am.

The forest officer said on arrival the cheetahs will be first kept in small enclosures for a month and then in bigger ones for a couple of months for acclimatization and familiarisation with surroundings.

Later, they will be released in the wild, he said.

“We have set up six small quarantine enclosures as per legal mandate required during the shifting of animals from one continent to another,” the official said earlier.

The last cheetah died in the country in 1947 in Korea district in present-day Chhattisgarh and the species was declared extinct from India in 1952.

The ‘African Cheetah Introduction Project in India’ was conceived in 2009.
A plan to introduce the big cats in KPNP by November last year was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source: PTI)