Kumar Bahukhandi
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Neelu Sharma joins tourism and travel-industry representatives during the 41st IATO Annual Convention in Visakhapatnam, where Chhattisgarh showcased its natural, cultural and heritage attractions before the national travel trade-Photo Credit:channel23india.com via CG/DPR
Key Highlights
- Chhattisgarh honoured as ‘Best Emerging Tourist Destination’ at the 41st IATO Annual Convention.
- Four-day convention held in Visakhapatnam from September 10–13.
- State showcased its natural beauty, tribal culture, waterfalls, wildlife, archaeological heritage and spiritual destinations.
- Travel agents and tour operators invited to incorporate Chhattisgarh destinations into new itineraries.
- B2B meetings explored tourism packages, partnerships and destination promotion.
- Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Neelu Sharma participated in the convention.
- Greater tourism activity is expected to open opportunities for local employment, enterprise and community participation.
State showcases Bastar’s waterfalls and tribal traditions, Sirpur’s ancient heritage and its growing nature, cultural and spiritual tourism potential before India’s travel trade in Visakhapatnam
Chhattisgarh has strengthened its presence on India’s tourism map after being honoured as the ‘Best Emerging Tourist Destination’ at the 41st Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) in Visakhapatnam.
The recognition came as the state showcased a tourism identity that extends from the forests and waterfalls of Bastar to the archaeological legacy of Sirpur, the spiritual landscape of Dantewada and the living traditions of its tribal communities.
Held at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach from September 10 to 13, the four-day convention brought together tourism departments, tour operators, travel professionals and other industry representatives from across the country.
For Chhattisgarh, the gathering provided more than an exhibition platform. It offered an opportunity to place some of the state’s still relatively unexplored destinations directly before the travel trade that designs itineraries and influences where tourists travel next.
From Hidden Destinations to Travel Itineraries
Through presentations and interactions at the convention, the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board highlighted the state’s waterfalls, forests, wildlife, archaeological sites, religious destinations, tribal culture and opportunities for adventure and nature-based tourism.
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Neelu Sharma participates in the inaugural and tourism-promotion activities at the 41st IATO Annual Convention in Visakhapatnam. The state used the national platform to showcase its destinations, engage with tourism-industry representatives and promote Chhattisgarh as an emerging travel destination-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CG/DPR
Travel agents and tour operators were encouraged to incorporate Chhattisgarh into new itineraries and promote the state as an emerging destination.
That outreach is particularly significant for a state possessing considerable tourism assets but still competing with better-established destinations for visibility in the national travel market.
The Chhattisgarh pavilion also became a venue for business-to-business interactions, with travel agents and tour operators discussing destinations, packages, itineraries and possible partnerships with tourism representatives and registered stakeholders.
The Indian Tourism Fair, organised alongside the convention on September 11 and 12, further provided direct networking opportunities between state tourism departments and the travel industry.
Tourism as an Economic Opportunity
Chhattisgarh’s presentation also positioned tourism as more than destination promotion.
Expanding tourism into lesser-known regions can create opportunities for local guides, transport providers, accommodation operators, artisans, performers and communities associated with traditional culture. Connecting local communities with tourism therefore has the potential to turn visitor footfall into livelihood and economic activity.
The state highlighted the scope for developing nature, religious, historical, cultural and tribal tourism as interconnected experiences rather than isolated attractions.
Bastar offers perhaps the most striking example, combining forests and waterfalls with a distinctive cultural landscape and tribal traditions. Sirpur provides a very different experience through its archaeological and historical legacy, while destinations across the state add religious, wildlife and nature-based dimensions.
Together, they provide Chhattisgarh with the possibility of offering travellers multiple experiences within a single destination state.
National Platform for Chhattisgarh Tourism
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh, senior government officials and representatives of the tourism and travel industry participated in the convention.
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Neelu Sharma represented the state and participated in discussions concerning its tourism potential. He was also felicitated during the convention.
The culmination came on September 13, when Chhattisgarh received the ‘Best Emerging Tourist Destination’ honour.
The award gives the state additional visibility, but the larger opportunity lies in converting the interest generated at the convention into actual tour programmes, industry partnerships and visitor arrivals.
For Chhattisgarh, therefore, the achievement is not merely another tourism trophy. The more consequential outcome would be seeing destinations that have remained outside conventional Indian tourist circuits begin appearing regularly on travellers’ itineraries.
