Hari Ranjan Rao, managing director, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation talks about his expectations from the seventh Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) Annual Convention being held at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh from April 8-11, 2016. By Rituparna Chatterjee
Why was Khajuraho chosen for the ADTOI Annual Convention?
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to the Panna National Park, which is a tiger reserve. It is the most talked about national park because in 2009 its tiger population became extinct which has now bounced back to a sizable number. This is one of the most remarkable success stories of tiger conservation in India. Khajuraho is one of the most important destinations in Madhya Pradesh to attract international tourists. But domestic tourists have also been visiting Khajuraho. There have been a couple of developments recently to boost domestic tourism.
Khajuraho has direct air connectivity from Delhi. Recently, a new airport terminal building was inaugurated there. Moreover, Khajuraho recently got railway connectivity. The Khajuraho railway station is directly connected to Delhi and there is an overnight train from Delhi. We will also have direct trains from Mumbai and Kolkata to Khajuraho. Now Khajuraho is also at the criss-cross junction of three National Highways. Khajuraho will be well connected to Mahoba, Jhansi, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, etc. All these are good ingredients to boost domestic tourism into Khajuraho. This destination is a gateway to several national parks. From the Panna National Park tourists can drive to Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park and Pench National Park. Madhya Pradesh looks forward to the seventh ADTOI Annual Convention because Khajuraho is a destination not only for heritage and wildlife but also for weddings. We are excited about this.
What are your expectations from the ADTOI annual convention?
We expect the ADTOI annual convention to give exposure to the domestic tour operators about the potential of Madhya Pradesh and Khajuraho in particular. Moreover, we also want to capitalise and take our relationship with ADTOI forward.