Clocking Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of a staggering 381 per cent, Madhya Pradesh has recorded maximum surge in domestic tourist arrival in India which reached to 5.3 crore in 2012 from a level of 1.1 crore in 2006. This was revealed in a study conducted by the ASSOCHAM.
“MP is emerging as a preferred tourist destination for domestic tourists as the state accounts for over five per cent share in the total domestic tourist visits of over 103 crore across India as of 2012," according to a study titled 'Indian Tourism Industry: The way forward,' conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
However, MP does not figure amid top ten states with high share in foreign tourist arrival in India as the state attracted about 2.7 lakh foreign tourists as of 2012 which had increased at a rate of about 2.36 per cent from 2.6 lakh in 2011. Besides, with outstanding investments worth just over `418 crore, MP ranks 19th with a meager 0.3 per cent share amid top 20 major states attracting investments worth over `1.2 lakh crore in hotels and tourism industry thus reflecting upon huge scope for luring investments from the private sector in tourism sector, highlighted the ASSOCHAM study.
“There is a need for the State Government to provide clear land bank policies for improving the physical infrastructure in order to attract new investments in MP's hospitality sector,” said Mr D.S. Rawat, national secretary general of ASSOCHAM while releasing the findings of the chamber's study.
“MP should build its tourism sector on the state's core natural strengths, besides, the state must conduct tourism fair and festivals for showcasing its rich cultural heritage on a regular interval,” said Rawat, adding that the developing trained manpower possessing requisite soft skills is also very essential for MP to emerge as one of the leading tourist destination and the same can be done by conducting short-term training programs with focused skill development catering to people engaged in hotels, travel agencies, staff at railway stations, bus stands, staff and guides at monuments.