Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh has won two awards in the Best Tourism Village Contest organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism. Madla and Khokhra villages of the state have been selected as the best tourist villages of 2023. The villages were awarded in the gold and bronze categories at Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in New Delhi on Wednesday to mark World Tourism Day.
Madla village of Panna district is a gate to the Panna Tiger Reserve whereas Khokhra village of Sidhi district is located in the buffer zone of Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve. Both villages are making extraordinary contributions to rural tourism tours, homestay experiences, local food, and arts and crafts. Rich cultural heritage and natural beauty are the specialities of these villages.
Additional managing director Vivek Shrotriya and director skills Manoj Kumar Singh received the awards on behalf of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. Principal secretary Tourism and Culture Sheo Shekhar Shukla congratulated all the officers and partner organisations making efforts in rural project development.
The contest was organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Central Nodal Agency for Rural Tourism and Rural Homestays. Applications were received from a total of 795 villages from 36 states/ union territories in the competition. Of these, 35 villages were nominated in the gold category. Out of these 35 villages, the top 5 villages were honoured in the gold category.
