Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Orchha, a prominent tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh now boasts of around 1,000 ‘Paryatan Mitras’. They include rickshaw wallahs, cab drivers, porters, dhaba wallahs, front staff of hotels, owners of homestays, guides, sellers of souvenirs and handcrafted items, among others.
They have been trained in how to behave and deal with tourists visiting the place. A similar exercise is planned in Ujjain.
The idea is to train and sensitise persons with whom all the tourists invariably come into contact and whose behaviour plays a key role in deciding what impressions of the state the tourists would carry back with them. At the same time, these stakeholders are the ones who will benefit the most if the tourist inflow grows.
The project is a part of the ‘Paryatan Mitra & Paryatan Didi’ initiative launched by the Union tourism ministry and is being executed by the MP Tourism Board (MPTB) in the state. As many as 28 private institutions and organisations have been empanelled for providing the training. The training will elevate the overall experience for tourists by having them meet ‘tourist-friendly’ people who are ambassadors and storytellers for their destination.
“No one, not even Google, can know more about a place than the local residents. They are the best to tell you where you can find good food or things you want to buy. They can also tell you about places worth visiting which are not mentioned in tourist guides,” says advisor tourism Ranjana Mishra.
She says that simple things can make the experience of a tourist and as part of the training, the stakeholders are being made aware of what may make tourists uncomfortable. Additional managing director of MPTB Bidisha Mukherjee says that simple things can make the experience of a tourist and as part of the training, the stakeholders are being made aware of what may make tourists uncomfortable. Orchha, which was picked for the pilot project, has been recommended by the state government for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Ujjain, where the training is expected to begin later this month, will be hosting Simhastha in 2028.
