Bollywood, Experiences and Homestays: Inside Madhya Pradesh’s Tourism Overhaul

Madhya Pradesh recorded an over 50% surge in tourism last year, compared to pre-pandemic levels. The state welcomed 134 million tourists in 2024, up from 89 million in 2019, according to the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.

Sheo Shekhar Shukla, managing director at Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, in a conversation with Skift attributed this growth to the state’s shift away from traditional, site-centric tourism toward a more diversified, experience-driven strategy.

Diversifying Beyond Landmark Destinations: Shukla said visitor interest is expanding beyond marquee destinations like Khajuraho and Orchha to emerging hotspots such as Kanha, Pench, and Bandhavgarh, where hotel chain The Leela is developing a new luxury property near Bandhavgarh National Park.

Over the past few years, Madhya Pradesh has introduced initiatives including luxury tent cities, eco-safaris, river cruises, adventure tourism, film tourism, and rural homestays to broaden its appeal.

Film Tourism, Diverse Initiatives Drive Footfall: The state’s Film Tourism Policy, which offers subsidies of up to INR 100 million ($1.2 million) for international productions, has positioned Madhya Pradesh as a filming hotspot, he said.

Recent Indian productions like Panchayat, Gullak, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Laapataa Ladies, and Homebound were filmed across the state. According to Shukla, locations featured in major productions saw a 30–35% rise in tourist footfall during peak seasons after their release.

This strategy mirrors global examples where film-driven tourism boosted arrivals - such as Ladakh after 3 Idiots and Spain after Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Similarly, Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad draws 1.5 million visitors annually, blending production and tourism.

To tap into demand for authentic experiences, Madhya Pradesh has ramped up its rural tourism push. Last month, the state launched 241 homestays across 37 districts, with a target of establishing 1,000 homestays statewide to attract travelers beyond urban centers.

Connectivity Still a Challenge: Despite its growth, the state faces hurdles around infrastructure and accessibility. To address this, Madhya Pradesh has launched PM Shri Vayu Paryatan Sewa, India’s first intra-state air service, connecting cities including Bhopal, Khajuraho, Rewa, Singrauli, and Ujjain.

The state is also investing in cruise tourism, with plans for a 120-km Narmada river cruise and terminals at Omkareshwar, Gwalior, and Vidisha, developed under public-private partnerships.

Online travel platform Goibibo has launched an AI-powered video campaign in partnership with video platform TrueFan AI. Under the partnership, the company is delivering hyper-personalized video messages featuring the company’s brand ambassador Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant.

Goibibo hopes to increase customer engagement through this initiative by targeting users who search for trips but leave without booking. “These travelers receive a prompt featuring Rishabh Pant in a personalized, AI-generated video that addresses them by name and references their searched destination or mode of transport,” the company said in a statement.

“Our goal is to build a more genuine and personal relationship between the brand and each user through direct and individualized interactions. We've seen that video campaigns tend to drive higher click-through rates than text-based ones,” said Raj Rishi Singh, chief marketing officer at Goibibo.

This is a growing trend among Indian online travel agencies. Last month, Agoda launched an AI vacation planner featuring Bollywood actor and Agoda brand ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. In the videos, Khurrana addresses travelers by their first name using AI and then proceeds to share travel attractions suited to them based on their personal needs in a bid to build emotional connect.

Indian Railways Tuesday launched its superapp RailOne to offer all passenger services on one platform. The app has been designed to do away with the need for multiple apps used by passengers for different services.

RailOne will allow travelers to book tickets, get PNR status updates, track train coach positions, submit grievances, and order food. The app will also allow access to R-Wallet - the digital wallet for Indian Railways - and passengers will be able to add funds to the wallet for any transactions.

IHG Hotels and Resorts has signed an agreement for development of a Holiday Inn-branded hotel in Bengaluru Electronic City. The 200-key property is expected to open in the first quarter of 2029.

“Bengaluru remains a key market for IHG,” said Sudeep Jain, managing director for South West Asia at IHG. He said that the city’s prominence as a global technology and business hub, and its status as one of India’s fastest-growing metropolitan cities makes it a crucial market.

IHG currently has 48 operational hotels in the country, and has 63 more in the pipeline that are slated to open in the next 3-5 years.

The northern state of Uttar Pradesh was visited by 650 million tourists in the 2025 fiscal year. While domestic tourists from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh led the charge, the state also received international visitors from Thailand, South Korea, and Myanmar.

The state has been witnessing a tourism surge. In the 2024 calendar year, the state had received a record tourist footfall of 649 million, up over 170 million from 2023. Over 2.3 million international tourists visited the state in 2024, an increase of 25% year-on-year.

According to the state government, a tourist staying in Uttar Pradesh for one night is currently spending INR 5,400 ($63) on an average, while a long-term traveler is spending around INR 7,500 ($88). Hotel stays accounted for over 40% of tourist accommodations in the state, and inter-district travel within the state contributed to 80% of all tourism activity.

State officials are expecting this number to likely double in the current financial year. To support this, the state has added 100,000 new hotel rooms.

Radisson Hotel Group has opened D Square Statue of Unity Kevadia, a member of Radisson Individuals in Gujarat. The 91-key property is located near the famous Statue of Unity in the state.

“With this property, we further strengthen our footprint in Gujarat - one of India’s fastest-growing tourism corridors,” said Nikhil Sharma, managing director and COO for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group. “The region has seen remarkable development in recent years, including improved connectivity, new airports and government-led initiatives to promote cultural, spiritual and ecological tourism,” he added.

Radisson’s portfolio in India has expanded to 200 operational and developing properties. In an interview with Skift earlier this year, Sharma said that Indians relate to Radisson as an Indian brand. “As an international brand, we are very local and nationalistic in our approach. We continue to grow because more than 50% of our portfolio is in smaller cities.”

Over the next 5-7 years, he believes that Radisson could easily reach 500 operating hotels. “If we want India to develop, the growth has to be beyond the top 10 cities. That is where we have been focused,” he said.

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