Madhya Pradesh Tourism signs landmark MoU with MakeMyTrip & redBus

Bhopal, March 12, 2024 – In a significant move to boost tourism in Madhya Pradesh, the Department of Tourism, Madhya Pradesh, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with MakeMyTrip and redBus. This strategic partnership aims to foster sustainable tourism development and promote Madhya Pradesh as a premier tourist destination.

The MOU outlines a mutual commitment to promote homestays in Madhya Pradesh, a known method to increase rural and urban incomes, provide sustainable alternate streams of income, and boost low-carbon tourism in the state. The company will also provide offline and online training sessions to existing and upcoming homestay operators to help them understand the various nuances of promoting and running such properties effectively. Further, MakeMyTrip will collaborate with the tourism department to intensify the focus on promoting pilgrimage and wildlife-led travel experiences that the state has to offer through its platform.

redBus will be recognized as the official “Online Bus Ticketing Partner” by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and will work to help travellers discover the far reaches of the state. redBus will also bring the various festivals and events that are unique to Madhya Pradesh closer to travellers across the country.

From left to right: Dr. Manoj Kumar Singh, Director of Skill MPTB; Shri Vivek Shrotriya, IAS, Additional Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Bhopal; Sameer Bajaj, Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs at MakeMyTrip; and Kalpesh Bhamre, Associate Director & Regional Head for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, at the signing of a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MP Tourism Board, MakeMyTrip and redBus. The event marks a strategic partnership aimed at boosting tourism in Madhya Pradesh, focused on promoting homestays, and intensifying efforts to showcase cultural, pilgrimage and wildlife-led travel experiences in the state.

Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, said, “Madhya Pradesh is a treasure trove of enriching experiences with the largest number of land-based wildlife national reserves in India and numerous cultural and religious sites transcending ages within its confines. We are committed to showcasing our state with pride and curating newer experiences to suit modern travellers across age groups. We believe this collaboration will help us tap into newer approaches and avenues to support our goal in a conscious, sustainable and equitable manner.”

Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, “Madhya Pradesh holds a prominent place in India’s tourism landscape. Our attempt with this collaboration is to garner greater visibility for tourist destinations in the state, leveraging the strengths of our platform. This includes our growing homestays segment, as well as spiritual and wildlife tourism. Our expansive footprint and proven track record in delivering innovative solutions make us uniquely positioned to contribute to the tourism sector in Madhya Pradesh.”

Prakash Sangam, CEO, redBus, said, “We are thrilled to be recognized as the official ‘Online Bus Ticketing Partner’ by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. When it comes to travel, discovery of any place is much more in-depth when travelling by road. We firmly believe that this strategic collaboration will not just enhance travel experiences for our customers but also contribute to an enriched discovery of the state’s hidden gems and experiences.”