Madhya Pradesh Tourism and Culture Principal Secretary and Managing Director, M.P. Tourism Board Sheo Shekhar Shukla welcomed Jost Geiger, Head of the Consular-Economic Department of the Netherlands Embassy, to the MP Tourism Board office.

Both discussed increasing cooperation of the Netherlands Embassy in attracting Dutch tourists in the state.

Additional Managing Director Vivek Shrotriya was also present.

Principal Secretary Shukla said that Madhya Pradesh is such a state, which is full of possibilities of tourism.

Apart from natural beauty, wildlife and spiritual tourism, the state is also a resource rich state, he said.

He said that Madhya Pradesh’s Panna has the only active diamond mine in the country.

He said that according to the data till the year 2022, MP is one of the top 10 states in the country in terms of arrival of foreign tourists.

The arrival of foreign tourists in the state has increased from 1% in year 2019 to 2.4% in the year 2022, he informed.

Geijer discussed the potential of inbound tourism in MP and how MP Tourism Department can engage with tourism and hospitality stakeholders (travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers etc.) from Netherlands through webinars and online meetings.

Geiger said that ‘India is a country which you cannot ignore and Madhya Pradesh is one of the leading states of the country.

Here, work is being done very effectively on Responsible Tourism.

He also said that MP Tourism has done commendable work in the matter of women empowerment in the last few years.