Category Archives: States

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board signed an MoU with VReal, a Finland-based leader in immersive virtual reality, to showcase the state’s cultural heritage through cutting-edge technology. The MoU was signed by Mohan Yadav, CM, MP and Kimmo Lähdevirta, Finland’s Ambassador to India. The move is expected to promote the state’s tourism sites and heritage on a global scale, increasing international tourist visits.

Kerala welcomed 2,22,46,989 tourists in 2024, which marked a substantial increase of 21 percent from the pre-pandemic period, informed P A Mohamed Riyas, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala. The first half of 2024 (January-June) alone saw a total of 1,08,57,181 tourist arrivals from within the country.

Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, in partnership with the Karnataka Tourism Society (KTS), Karnataka International Travel Expo (KITE) 2025 will be held from 26 to 28 February 2025. The Expo offers opportunity to connect with 150+ International buyers from 25+ countries and 250+ Indian buyers.

To tap the tea tourism potential of the state, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, said that the state government is moving forward with plans to study the tea tourism model of West Bengal and frame a policy — which the stakeholders see as having a great potential to revitalise the tea industry.

Kerala allocated ₹80 crore for national and global promotion in the state budget FY2025-26. It will continue to focus on its traditional international markets: Europe, North America and South America. “We recently saw a rise in arrivals from Australia so we will focus on it along with the ones witnessing dip,” said Sikha Surendran, Director, Kerala Tourism.

While growth in foreign tourist arrivals is on the lower side at 3%, it is better than industry average, said Goa’s tourism minister Rohan Khaunte. Addressing the controversy of losing popularity among tourists, he added, “All is well. Posts by many influencers of deserted beaches, empty hotels in Goa flooded the internet last December. We didn’t want to respond to every social media influencer who took Goa for a ride in the last quarter. We will address the issues raised. However, the way they took it up was something, which we need to condemn.”

Tourism minister of Andhra Pradesh, Kandula Durgesh, has requested Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for fast-track approvals for Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for proposed Swadesh Darshan projects. He informed the minister that tourism development in AP would proceed through central government schemes like PRASAD, Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and the special assistance to states for capital investment Scheme. “Development work at the Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam is complete by 60 per cent and the tendering process for the Annavaram temple development in Kakinada district has been finalised,” he said.

The Ministry has launched a revamped version of Incredible India Digital Platform (IIDP) as a comprehensive resource for stakeholders. Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, says, “IIDP offers real-time weather updates, city exploration, and essential travel services. The portal has also partnered with several OTAs for bookings. The ministry encourages state governments to include soft components involving the use of technology to enhance visitor experience at major tourist destinations.”

Uttar Pradesh government is planning to invest nearly Rs 50,000 crore in seven new expressway projects in the next 2-3 years. This will connect about 30 districts to the vast expressway network in the state. The combined length of these expressways is 866 km, connecting areas with Lucknow-State Capital Region and the Delhi NCR. At present, UP accounts for the largest network of expressways in India, either operational or under construction.

West Bengal Tourism recently conducted a Bengal MICE Conclave along with ICPB to position the state as a global MICE destination. It featured discussions and B2B networking sessions with national and international MICE operators. The tourism board also signed an MoU with 6 key organisations like Indian Dental Association to boost medical conferences, exhibitions, and business tourism in West Bengal.