Dr Ilayaraja T, the secretary of tourism for the Government of Madhya Pradesh (MP) and managing director of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, is making a push for more Singaporean and global tourists to visit the state at this year’s Internationale Tourismus-Borse (ITB) Asia conference.
ITB Asia is an annual B2B travel and tourism exhibition, where countries and states host booths sharing more about their respective tourism sectors, as well as the latest travel tech and trends.
MP is India’s second largest state, right in the heart of the country, and is widely known for its tiger population, even getting the title of the “Tiger State of India”. But Dr Ilayaraja, who is also a veterinarian by education, says that it is lush with other wildlife too.
Cheetahs and vultures are some of the other examples he cited, and tourists can also visit hatching centres for the unique long-snouted gharials.
The state is also home to one of India’s cleanest rivers, the some 1,000km long Chambal. “One of the great experiences I had was when I took a moonlit boat ride on the Chambal River, and I got to see Ganges River dolphins,” said Dr Ilayaraja.
Aside from wildlife, Dr Ilayaraja also said that Southeast Asian tourists should also note MP for its Buddhist heritage.
The Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi are a UNESCO Heritage Site, including a 2,000-year-old stupa, a monument built to house the relics of Buddha and his disciples.
These sites have already attracted tourists from Thailand and Sri Lanka, and he hopes to promote this aspect more.
MP also houses one of the largest tribal populations in the country, with seven main tribal groups and more than 45 sub-tribes. Therefore, uplifting and respecting the tribal and rural populations is one of the state’s main aims when it comes to tourism.
“More than 25 per cent of the state is covered in forests. So when it comes to forest experiences, you simply cannot forget its people,” he said.
Some of the strategies involve training tribal craftsmen on how to scale up their crafts or incorporating more heritage culinary experiences, like workshops on how to make spirits from the native Mahua flower.
Dr Ilayaraja also said that the state is in talks with carriers to improve air connectivity between cities in Madhya Pradesh and Singapore, as there are currently no direct flights.
“MP is a treasure waiting to be explored from all walks of life. So I think it’s a matter of time, when more and more connectivity comes up,” said Dr Ilayaraja.
