The government of Madhya Pradesh is planning to develop at least six new tourism destinations in the state to offer experiential, adventure, and recreational tourism in order to boost the tourism economy.
After the success of Mandu, Hanuwantiya, and Gandhi Sagar, the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is now considering Kuno in Sheopur district, Orchha, Ater in Bhind district, Tamia in Chhindawara district, Chanderi, and Bargi dam in Jabalpur. The plan is to create tent cities and develop water and air sports, carnivals, and other recreational activities for tourists.
In order to achieve this, the board has invited tenders from parties to conduct annual festivals and various experiential, adventure, and recreational activities at these locations for a period of 10 years.
According to Vivek Shrotriya, the additional managing director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, many of these places don’t have sufficient accommodation or tourist activities despite being famous tourist spots. The aim is to replicate the success of the annual festivals at Mandu, Hanuwantiya, and Gandhi Sagar in these six new destinations.
The government plans to offer a comprehensive tourism package to attract tourists for longer stays and promote the state. It may conduct annual festivals for five days in these destinations, while other adventure activities and tent stays will continue for 2-3 months, as per the tourism department.
This year, the state government successfully launched the first edition of the floating festival at Gandhi Sagar. With the addition of these new destinations, the state will have a total of nine destinations that offer annual festivals and adventure activities to tourists.
They anticipate a significant increase in tourist footfall from across the country by offering diverse tourist activities, which will contribute to the state’s economy and generate local employment, stated Shrotriya.
The tourism department plans to provide financial support to agencies for the initial few years to conduct tourism activities at these locations.