Madhya Pradesh has marked 2025 as a transformative year for its tourism sector, achieving significant milestones in investment and cultural initiatives. Under the leadership of the state's tourism officials, including Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi and Sheo Shekhar Shukla, the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board launched several projects to enhance connectivity and attract visitors.
The introduction of the PM SHRI Tourism Air and Helicopter Services has improved access to key tourist destinations, fostering both tourism and investment opportunities. These services, launched on 1 November 2025, operate across three sectors, connecting cities such as Indore, Bhopal, and Ujjain.
In a bid to strengthen rural tourism, over 400 homestays have been established, with plans to expand to 1,000. The state also hosted events like the Regional Tourism Conclave and the Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart, which collectively attracted investment proposals worth over $1.2b (INR 100b).
Cultural tourism received a boost with the development of Omkareshwar as Advait Lok, featuring a 108-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya. This initiative, alongside other cultural projects, contributed to a 25% increase in tourist arrivals in 2024, totalling over 140 million visitors.
Madhya Pradesh's efforts in promoting inclusive tourism included training 50,000 women and girls, aiming to increase tourism's contribution to the state's GDP to 10%. The state plans to develop 500 new hotels and 20,000 rooms, reinforcing its position as a leading tourism destination in India.
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