Indian heritage and eco tourism is poised to take a leap as the government has allocated additional funds in the 2025-26 fiscal budget and devised special campaigns to woo inbound travellers. States of India, especially those ruled by the same Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are chalking out forward looking plans. Madhya Pradesh state in central India is taking steps as a premier heritage and eco-tourism destination. The focus is on showcasing efforts in conservation, cultural preservation, and responsible tourism. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) has been lauded and won global recognition as a global leader in sustainable and heritage tourism.

Among the recent honours are the Versatile Excellence Travel Awards (VETA) 2025 as a ‘Leading Heritage Tourism Destination’. Special efforts have been made by the state to not only renovate and dress up historical and archaeological treasures but also to preserve historical monuments, promote eco-tourism, and enhance visitor experiences. Madhya Pradesh won the ‘Best State Tourism’ award at SATTE 2025, South Asia’s largest travel exhibition held in New Delhi. This recognises investment in tourism infrastructure, innovative tourism experiences, and responsible travel practices.

Madhya Pradesh received the SKOCH Award for ‘Project Clean Destination’. Since 2022, Panna district and later expanded to Bandhavgarh, focus on implementing structured waste management systems, community-driven sustainability programs, and conservation awareness efforts. The Panna National Park’s waste management project was also recognized with the Global ESG Award in 2024. Madhya Pradesh’s internationally famous destinations for diverse experiences include the Khajuraho Group of Temples and Sanchi Stupa.

Tourism to the State has grown three times in two years, with over 112.1 million visitors recorded in 2022.

A key factor in drawing domestic and foreign travellers is providing them with adequate and affordable experiences through enhancing infrastructure development to improve airports, highways, trains, hotels, tourist guides and leveraging digital platforms to provide critical and useful information to travellers. Steps are taken by authorities to ensure safe destinations, particularly for solo women travellers.