MP steps up efforts to boost tourism, develops several pilgrimage sites

The Madhya Pradesh government plans to develop several pilgrimage sites as part of an effort to boost the state’s tourism, which has employed over 34,000 people in the last few years.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently said his government was working on a roadmap for the cultural revival of religious places. Yadav, an MLA from the temple town of Ujjain, also said all those places in Madhya Pradesh where Lord Krishna set foot and performed Lila will be developed as pilgrimage sites.

Principal Secretary Tourism Managing Director Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board Sheo Shekhar Shukla said, ''The state has embarked on a lucrative tourism policy and has attained an optimistic response from investors. Tourism investment has a far-reaching positive impact as it contributes significantly to economic growth by generating income, creating jobs, and fostering entrepreneurship. It stimulates the infrastructure development, cultural exchange and preservation, foreign exchange earnings, regional development, diversification of the economy, environmental conservation, and improved quality of life.’’

 

According to the data from the Tourism Department, in the last few years, about Rs 2,200 crore has been invested in 100 tourism projects, which provided direct or indirect employment to more than 34,000 people. The department has prepared a land bank of 1,883 hectares, out of which 358 hectares of land have been allotted.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of wildlife tourists and they may cross 30 lakh this year. A total of 26.91 lakh tourists visited the state in the last season. The number of tourists has more than doubled in the last year. Madhya Pradesh Forest Department collected Rs 54 crore from visits to the National Park and Century in 2022-23, a six-fold jump from the amount it received in 2021-22. Apart from seven tiger reserves, Madhya Pradesh is also home to five national parks and 10 sanctuaries.