The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is expecting to grow its inbound tourism market by hosting the 39th Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) from August 30 to September 2 at the Taj Lakefront in the capital city of Bhopal.
This year’s convention’s theme, Resurgent India Inbound, is expected to highlight inbound tourism’s opportunities as well as challenges.
Madhya Pradesh tourism representative and members of IATO leadership team at a news conference in New Delhi
Madhya Pradesh is currently witnessing an overwhelming demand from the domestic tourism market, however, comparatively, international tourist arrivals have failed to take off.
“The domestic tourism market has grown manifolds in Madhya Pradesh and we expect the trend to continue in the next few years. However, we are still unable to make inroads in the inbound tourism market especially since post-pandemic international tourist arrivals (have) yet to pick up. We are hoping that after hosting the IATO convention, the participating tour operators will be able to promote the destination in international markets,” said Sheo Shekhar Shukla, principal secretary, Department of Tourism and managing director Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) while speaking to TTG Asia on the sidelines of a news conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.
As per the department of tourism, Madhya Pradesh, 115 million domestic tourists visited the state in 2023 compared to 34 million in 2022. The statistics from India’s Ministry of Tourism show that the state welcomed 327,958 international tourists in 2019, a number that has declined sharply to less than 100,000 in the post-lockdown period.
IATO vice president Ravi Gosain, who will chair the convention, shared that about 1,000 delegates including tour operators, government officials, hoteliers and media representatives are expected to participate at the convention in Bhopal.
He said: “We are organising 10 post-convention tours covering different tourism sites including Sanchi, Udayagiri, Bhojpur, Bhimbetka, Ujjain and Satpura National Park among others. These trips will help our members to effectively promote Madhya Pradesh in international markets.”
Gosain claimed that there has been an increase of 20 to 30 per cent in international tourist arrivals in states which have hosted the IATO’s conventions in the past.
“We want to take the bull by its horns when it comes to inbound tourism. We are actively participating in international trade shows and collaborating closely with 25 Indian missions abroad to drive positive change in inbound tourism. We are developing destinations such as Gandhi Sagar, Kuno, and Chanderi as glamping sites, which we aim to promote on an international scale. Additionally, we want to promote rural and tribal homestays in global markets,” added Shukla.
The central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is expecting to grow its inbound tourism market by hosting the 39th Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) from August 30 to September 2 at the Taj Lakefront in the capital city of Bhopal.
This year’s convention’s theme, Resurgent India Inbound, is expected to highlight inbound tourism’s opportunities as well as challenges.
Madhya Pradesh is currently witnessing an overwhelming demand from the domestic tourism market, however, comparatively, international tourist arrivals have failed to take off.
“The domestic tourism market has grown manifolds in Madhya Pradesh and we expect the trend to continue in the next few years. However, we are still unable to make inroads in the inbound tourism market especially since post-pandemic international tourist arrivals (have) yet to pick up. We are hoping that after hosting the IATO convention, the participating tour operators will be able to promote the destination in international markets,” said Sheo Shekhar Shukla, principal secretary, Department of Tourism and managing director Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) while speaking to TTG Asia on the sidelines of a news conference in New Delhi on Tuesday.
As per the department of tourism, Madhya Pradesh, 115 million domestic tourists visited the state in 2023 compared to 34 million in 2022. The statistics from India’s Ministry of Tourism show that the state welcomed 327,958 international tourists in 2019, a number that has declined sharply to less than 100,000 in the post-lockdown period.
IATO vice president Ravi Gosain, who will chair the convention, shared that about 1,000 delegates including tour operators, government officials, hoteliers and media representatives are expected to participate at the convention in Bhopal.
He said: “We are organising 10 post-convention tours covering different tourism sites including Sanchi, Udayagiri, Bhojpur, Bhimbetka, Ujjain and Satpura National Park among others. These trips will help our members to effectively promote Madhya Pradesh in international markets.”
Gosain claimed that there has been an increase of 20 to 30 per cent in international tourist arrivals in states which have hosted the IATO’s conventions in the past.
“We want to take the bull by its horns when it comes to inbound tourism. We are actively participating in international trade shows and collaborating closely with 25 Indian missions abroad to drive positive change in inbound tourism. We are developing destinations such as Gandhi Sagar, Kuno, and Chanderi as glamping sites, which we aim to promote on an international scale. Additionally, we want to promote rural and tribal homestays in global markets,” added Shukla.