State To Offer Authentic Tribal Living Experience To Tourists Soon, 86 Homestays To Come Up In 14 Tribal Villages

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh will soon offer an authentic tribal living experience to tourists through homestays in tribal villages across the state. Under the project, 86 homestays will be set up in 14 villages across three tribal-dominated districts.

These homestays will be run by local tribals and will allow domestic and foreign tourists to experience tribal lifestyle, culture, art and cuisine first hand. The project is part of Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, a Union Government campaign named after tribal hero and warrior Birsa Munda.

The three tribal-dominated districts selected for the project are Anuppur, Dindori and Mandla. Eight villages in Anuppur, four in Dindori and two in Mandla have been identified for setting up 86 homestays, which will run on solar power.

The government will provide 40% of the construction cost as subsidy. Owners will not need to obtain commercial power connections or any kind of licence.

“It will provide an additional source of income to tribals,” said DP Singh, director (skill and training), Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Board. “Madhya Pradesh has the biggest tribal population among all states and immense potential to attract tourists interested in tribal communities and their way of life,” he added.

Target: 1,000 homestays

Currently, Madhya Pradesh has 447 homestays in 77 villages across the state. Of these, 360 homestays are fully operational. The homestays have so far generated an income of Rs 6.8 crore for their owners.

The government has set a target of establishing 1,000 homestays in the state and the Dharti Aaba project is part of the effort to achieve the target.