Madhya Pradesh Tourism Delegation concluded its successful participation in IFTM Top Resa 2022 with more than 60 meetings with travel trade partners, media and consumers over the course of the three-day event.
Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Chief Secretary of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and Executive Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, led the delegation, which included some prominent tour operators from the state. Meetings with major tour operators such as TUI, Sita, ASIA, Marco Vasco etc. have been very fruitful and will result in more MP based itineraries being added. Media companies included Desirs De Voyage, National Geographic, France TV and Marie France, among other leading publishing houses.
An event was held at the Embassy of India in Paris on Friday to showcase the different facets of tourism in Madhya Pradesh. His Excellency Jawed Ashraf, Ambassador of India to France and Monaco, spoke in his opening address about the diverse tourism products that Madhya Pradesh has to offer, such as the state’s spectacular wildlife, heritage and culinary offerings. Addressing the audience, Mr. Shukla spoke about the links between Madhya Pradesh and France that date back to the Bourbon era.
He also spoke about the various new initiatives being introduced in the state such as: B. Skills training for women in tourism, which will have the dual benefit of providing women with a livelihood while improving the safety of female travellers, both individual and group travellers.
He also spoke about film tourism, which offers a single window release to film/television shooting units that choose MP for their productions. He added that there are financial grants for films shot in the state.
An audio-visual presentation was followed by a cultural program with MP folk and classical dances such as Matka, Badhai and Kathak. Special delicacies from the state such as poha jalebi, bhopali lamb korma, kuno dal handi and shikanji were served to guests at the event.
Later in the day, the delegation met with Vishal V Sharma, the Indian Ambassador to UNESCO, to discuss the various upcoming projects in the state. Appreciating the Government of Madhya Pradesh’s heritage preservation initiatives, Sharma was particularly pleased with the various TV commercials promoting MP, which are memorable and extremely creative. A meeting followed with senior UNESCO officials, including Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy Director of the World Heritage Centre.
