Tribal Tourism in Madhya Pradesh: Possibilities and Challenges

Author(s)	Dr. Preeti Prabhat
Country	India
Abstract	Tribal tourism in Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a critical domain of cultural preservation, community-centred development, and sustainable regional planning in contemporary India. As one of the states with the highest concentration of Scheduled Tribe populations including major groups such as the Gond, Baiga, Bhil, Korku, Sahariya, Kol, and Maria. Madhya Pradesh offers a unique cultural landscape characterised by ancestral knowledge systems, ritual traditions, symbiotic relationships with forests, and distinctive artistic expressions. Over the past two decades, both governmental and private stakeholders have increasingly recognised the potential of tourism to enhance economic opportunities for tribal communities while simultaneously showcasing cultural heritage to wider audiences. However, despite promising frameworks, tribal tourism remains embedded within complex socio-economic, political, ecological, and ethical challenges. Issues of cultural commodification, unequal distribution of benefits, infrastructural limitations, representation, and questions of agency and authenticity continue to shape the discourse on how tribal identity may be integrated into tourism economies without distortion.
Keywords	Tribal tourism, Madhya Pradesh, indigenous communities, sustainable development, cultural heritage, community-based tourism, tribal identity, Gond, Baiga, Bhil.
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-04-06

About AIJFR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9898-79-39-59	editor@aijfr.com

Advanced International Journal for Research