Raipur, September 13, 2026: Chhattisgarh’s natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and tribal traditions have once again carved a distinct niche for themselves on the national tourism stage.
The prospects for tourism development and the future direction of the sector in Chhattisgarh were discussed in detail at the 41st Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), held in Visakhapatnam.
The event provided an opportunity to showcase Chhattisgarh’s diverse tourism potential to tourism departments, tour operators, and industry representatives gathered from across the country. In addition to an impressive presentation of the state’s tourism potential, Chhattisgarh was honoured with the prestigious ‘Best Emerging Tourist Destination’ award during the convention.
The four-day convention, held in Visakhapatnam from September 10 to 13, was themed ‘India-The Next Big Hub for Global Tourism Opportunities.’ Deliberations focused on various topics, including elevating the country’s tourism to new heights, developing new tourist destinations, and boosting the tourism business.
Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Neelu Sharma also participated in the convention. During discussions on various tourism-related subjects, Sharma highlighted the state’s tourism potential at the national level. He was also felicitated during the event.
The convention was attended by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh, and Special Chief Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Government Shamsher Singh Rawat, alongside numerous key representatives from the tourism and travel industry.
By effectively showcasing its tourism diversity and potential on this national platform, Chhattisgarh underscored its growing presence on the country’s tourism map.
Throughout the various sessions of the convention, the direction of Chhattisgarh’s tourism development, the state’s unique features, and the available tourism opportunities were highlighted.
Chhattisgarh’s multifaceted identity, encompassing everything from natural beauty to history, religion, culture, and tribal life, was emphasized as being significant from a tourism perspective.
The state’s tourism assets were showcased to travel agents and tour operators from across the country through an impressive video presentation. The presentation offered a captivating glimpse of Chhattisgarh’s natural beauty, tribal culture, wildlife, waterfalls, archaeological heritage, and adventure tourism destinations.
During the presentation, travel agents and tour operators from across the nation were invited to include Chhattisgarh in their travel itineraries and to promote it as an emerging tourism destination.
Information was also shared regarding the initiatives being undertaken by the Tourism Board for tourism development in the state and the new tourism prospects available.
Discussions were also held on ways to bring the state’s tourism offerings to national and international tourists, develop new tourism sites, and boost employment and economic activities by integrating local communities into the tourism sector.
