At the heart of India lies a region which will surprise even the most seasoned traveler. Madhya Pradesh, or MP as it is lovingly called, is both superlative in its offerings and peculiarly untouched. In the state’s wilderness, peacocks wander wild through thick teak forests and tigers prowl through several of the country’s best wildlife sanctuaries. The state is home to 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites - the 10th century temples of Khajuraho, covered in ecstatic erotic sculpture, is a reminder of India’s ancient artistic heritage. Millennia old Buddhist monuments can be found at Sanchi and Paleolithic cave paintings at Bhimbetka– so much of the subcontinent’s unimaginably long history compressed into a single, vastly unexplored region.
At ATM 2022, Madhya Pradesh will showcase its 25 wildlife sanctuaries, 11 national parks and 6 Tiger Reserves covering an area of about 10,000 sq km. Madhya Pradesh also accounts for almost 20 per cent of India’s tiger population. By virtue of being a sanctuary for India’s National Animal, it has been deemed the ‘Tiger State’. The vast tracts of forested land are also a refuge for barking deer, leopards, cheetal, wild boars, blackbucks, nilgais and crocodiles. Barasingha (literally translated to ‘one with 12 horns’) is a swamp deer, the state animal of Madhya Pradesh.
The temples of Khajuraho are India's unique gift to the world, representing, as they do, a paean to life, to love, to joy; perfect in execution and sublime in expression. In Bhimbetka, vivid panoramic paintings in over 500 caves depict the life of the prehistoric cave dwellers, making it an archaeological treasure and an invaluable chronicle in the history of man. Sanchi is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site. Sanchi consists of an ensemble of stupas, holy shrines and monasteries, considered to be one of the oldest stone structures in India. The Great Stupa is a monument constructed to portray the life and journey of Buddha.
The MP stand will see participation from some of the best accommodation providers from the state. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) will present its range of picturesque and locally-flavored hotels and resorts.
The Middle East is an important potential source market for tourists and MP will look to sign deals at ATM 2022 with Emirati and other GCC tour operators that will see the number of visitors from the region increase further.
Key to the strategy of increasing tourists from ME is for MP to expand its campaign to people living in the main cities, with the belief that the geographic proximity and close links between the two countries and their cultures will encourage repeat visitors.
There are currently more than 20 flights from Dubai to India every day, from a variety of airlines including Air India, Emirates, Air Arabia, Jet Airways, Etihad and Qatar Airways.
Stand number: AS 3525
Contact: Vinita Rashinkar ([email protected])