'Destination MP' ends without outcome

Tourism experts, officials of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department and the State Tourism Development Corporation made a futile attempt to improve the state of tourism in MP, which has been suffering due to high tax rates, poor connectivity and red-tape.

The two-day seminar "Travel and Tourism Mart ""Destination Madhya Pradesh" concluded here without any outcome. Neither the chief minister Shivraj Singh nor Yashodhara Raje Scindia, minister of tourism, announced any changes in the present structure except for some assurance on tax and air-connectivity. They did not make any announcement relating to a new tourism policy.

A number of tour and travel operators from all over India had participated in the programme. The outcome of the seminar was that participants were not assured of furthur tax cuts on tour operators, or aviation turbine fuel. They, however, discussed ways of increasing commercial activities in tourist areas by working on the lines of other states like Kerala.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan homed in on proper fund availability to the department, while his finance minister Raghavji was reluctant to announce further tax cuts to the sector. "Taxes are almost at par with that of other states," he said.

An assurance from the chief minister came in the form of a 40-km stretch on the Bhopal-Sanchi road to be completed within two months. However according to experts, "It is a two-week job to complete 40 km of road."

Similarly, Principal Secretary Padamvir Singh had nothing to showcase but to repeat a similar assurance that his department would construct 17 roads to connect important tourist destinations. The ex-chairman of MP Tourism Development Corporation had made a similar announcement last year.

However, travel writer Hugh Gantzer, in his brief presentation, said the government should try to freeze important tourist destinations "in time" and try to market them. The technical sessions of the seminar had a thin presence of participants.