Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Moving beyond the traditional Khajuraho-Gwalior-Orchha-Panna-Bandhavgarh circuit, Madhya Pradesh needs to boost experiential tourism to draw more foreign tourists, said tour operators and delegates. At the same time, the state's attractions should be publicised more in European countries, which send the largest number of tourists to India, they added.
The foreign and domestic tour operators and delegates spoke to Free Press on the sidelines of the ongoing seventh Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart (MPTM) at the Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre (Minto Hall) in the city on Thursday.
According to the delegates, the state needs to expand its tourism portfolio from just being a monuments and wildlife destination. Direct air connectivity to foreign destinations would also help boost travel to the state, and so would better hygiene, better roads and tourist-friendly people.
Chairman of the FICCI Tourism Committee, Madhya Pradesh, Mahendra Pratap Singh said that foreign tourists would love to experience genuine rural and Tribal life. The state needs to market rural tourism. And homestays are a step in the right direction, he said. Experiential tourism should also involve allowing visitors to see how products native to the state are made.
Petera Hildegard Ortlepp from Asien Special Tours, Munich, Germany, said, Foreign tourists don t come to India to lie in hotel pools. They want to see the real India. They want to experience the real India, adding that MP has something for everyone. That is its strength.
According to chairman of the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India, Pratul Trivedi, homestays in rural areas are a big hit among foreign tourists.
There is hardly any foreign tourist visiting Orchha who does not experience the homestays at Ladpura Khas. Homestays are value for money and provide an authentic taste of India, he said, adding that while the number of visitors to Ujjain is very impressive, they should not be taken too seriously.
Most of them are from areas around who come in the morning and leave in the evening. They spend next to nothing.
Magdalena Paulina Gaueer from DiscoverAsia, Poland, said that foreign tourists are worried about the food in the state. I don t know why, because the food here is very delicious, she said, adding that introducing foreign tourists to the traditional cuisine of the state before they fly in would be a good idea.
The delegates also said that efforts to boost tourism do not bring about immediate results. Foreign tourists prepare their itineraries a year or even two years in advance. So, what would do today, would show impact in three or four years later, Singh said, adding that MP has the potential to emerge as the biggest tourist destination over the next three to four years.
