Chief Minister Kamal Nath, while addressing a meeting of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board of Directors, asked to formulate a well-planned action plan to promote  tourism destinations of the State at the national and international level and also include agencies that promote tourism. In the meeting, the Board of Directors approved an action plan to ensure safety of women at tourist sites with the aim of providing employment to about 50,000 girls and women.

Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that Madhya Pradesh is a prosperous State in terms of tourism. We also have a large number of heritage properties with diverse cultural landscapes, forests and national parks.

Better marketing strategy is the reason for the States, which are currently ahead in tourism.

There is a need to use effective resources for promoting the tourism wealth of the State.

For this, he asked to coordinate with and make use of various national-international tour-operators, travel agents and agencies related to hotel trade.

The Chief Minister directed to organise Tours and Travels Meet in various cities of the country for the development and promotion of heritage properties.

He asked to develop an air strip at Pachmarhi and set up a camp site in the buffer area of the National Park.

He also directed to include experts from various sectors related to the tourism sector in the Tourism Board.

Tourism Minister Surendra Singh Baghel apprised the Chief Minister of the problems of the employees of the Tourism Development Corporation and Board.

In addition, he also suggested appointment of two coordinators in the District Tourism Promotion Council at Government level to maintain coordination at the State and district level.

In the action plan approved in the meeting to make tourist destinations of the State safe for women, decision was taken to divide the tourist sites into 20 clusters.

Fifty tourist sites will be included in each cluster.

Infrastructure will be improved keeping in view the creation of friendly environment for women tourists, easy availability of related information for safety and convenience of women.

In this, local women and girls of the tourist site will be trained for the protection and cooperation of women tourists. They will be given self -defence and skill upgradation training for self-employment to work near tourist destinations.

The goal is to engage 50 thousand women and girls in tourism activities through this scheme.

Principal Secretary Tourism and Managing Director Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board Faiz Ahmed Kidwai gave information about the works being undertaken by the Board and their upcoming schemes.