Experience safe, sustainable and responsible tourism in

Madhya Pradesh understands its responsibility not only toward its tourists, but also to those who have maintained the beauty and preserved the ancient culture of the state.

Are you a woman traveller and want to explore many beautiful places and adventure activities without fear? Are you the one who wants to witness the making of beautiful keepsakes with locals and take it with you as a memory to cherish? Or are you a person who wants to soak into the tribal or rural culture? Then Madhya Pradesh is the place for you.

To experience what has been mentioned above, it is important to keep these places safe, friendly, and beautiful along with preserving their culture and traditions. All these responsibilities are being done by the natives for ages. Hence, Madhya Pradesh understands its responsibilities not only to its tourists but also to the local people who have been preserving the beautiful ancient culture of the state.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism is intensely working on its Responsible Tourism Mission, which is being run with an aim to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the state. The mission aspires to provide an additional income and a better livelihood to locals, traditional artisans, and marginalized people along with creating social and environmental stability.

Responsible Tourism is a vital part of a state to maximise the benefits to local communities and minimise negative social or environmental impact, helping local people to preserve fragile cultures and habitats.

For this, the state tourism department has signed MoU with Responsible Tourism

Mission - Kerala, international centres for responsible tourism UK and UN women.

The major components taken under the umbrella of Responsible Tourism Mission are community development, economic development, cultural protection and exchange, conservation of environment, promotion of arts and crafts, empowering human capital and building talents through skilling and training, public health and hygiene, peace building and happiness, stakeholders promotion programmes etc.

There are many projects being implemented under this:

v Rural Tourism

v Safe Tourism Destinations for Women in Madhya Pradesh

v Responsible Souvenir

v Solid Waste Management

– Clean Destination

v Project Humsafar – Accessible for all

v Skilling of Youths

Let’s have a look at a few projects:

Rural Tourism: Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) brought together gram stays, farm stays, and homestays as safe and culturally rich stay options. It is being run with the objective of economic development and social development of the local community associated with the tourism sector. This project is being implemented in 100 selected villages of Madhya Pradesh that represent the culture of various parts of the state. The major components of the project are a convenient stay in the village, local excursions, local cuisines and culture, art and crafts, and skill and training. The department has initiated work in 60 villages by partnering with some NGOs. The department is also focused to benefit the rural communities by holding their hands for agri-based tourism. The aim of this project is to provide direct and indirect livelihood opportunities to 10,000 families. Six villages have already started hosting the guests.

Responsible Souvenir: Madhya Pradesh is not only a state to explore its heritage, culture, adventure, wildlife, spiritual, food, rural, and wellness destinations, but it is also a hub to experience amazing arts and crafts. To prepare such beautiful souvenirs, MPT is promoting the local artisans by developing handloom and handicrafts through responsible souvenirs development projects. MPT has also supported the artisan for designing and is developing market linkages for them. Two art and craft centres have already been started in Madla and Dhamna villages, where the community learns and produces new crafts at fair prices.

Safe Tourism Destination for Women in MP: This vibrant state offers destinations where travelling alone is not just comfortable but one can also get to taste of freedom and fun without fear. With an aim to create women-friendly environment, especially at the tourism destinations, with the support of the local community, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is implementing the project ‘Safe Tourism Destinations for Women in Madhya Pradesh’. The main objectives of this project are coordination among stakeholders for developing women-friendly public infrastructure, community participation and awareness of women safety and building community-based institutions. As many as 50 districts are being focused under this project. To make tourist destinations women-friendly, the state tourism body is maximising women participation through trainings in e-riksha or taxi driving, scout leader, city explorer, location manager, security guard, cook etc.

Responsible Tourism is key to maximise benefits to local communities and minimise negative impact on society or environment