Odisha, a state with colorful shorelines, dynamic natural life and a brilliant legacy and history, is moving in the direction of building a vigorous tourism foundation with exceptional spotlight on eco-tourism as it eyes 23 million home and far-off guests by 2021, a senior authority said.Hosting the hockey World Cup this year will also be a big boost to the state tourism.
In the last five years, the state has demonstrated, 8.5 per cent exceed in tourist footfalls by and large. In 2016-17 Odisha recorded more than 13.1 million visitor landings against 12.1 million out of 2015-16. If compared with the last financial year, the quantity of foreign tourists visiting the state in 2016-17 recorded a 15.04 per cent climb.
According to the Tourism Secretary Mr. Vishal Kumar Dev, the state is hoping to amplify the tourist inflow with the assistance of its new and dynamic tourism strategy propelled in 2016 and other fundamental infrastructural advancements. He added, “More than 22 per cent of Odisha’s populace are tribals. So the state was thought to be one of the most rearward and poorest in the nation. If you go through last 18 year’s history beginning 2000, Odisha has gained exceptional ground in all divisions, including tourism.”
“Odisha brags of the considerable number of aspects of vacation destination beginning from shocking common assets and sprawling biodiversity to huge landmarks and special craftsmanship and art. We are particularly concentrating on angles like eco-tourism and health tourism, with the goal that more tourists can get a chance of exploring the unexplored parts of Odisha — away from the most mainstream goals like Puri and Konark,” the authority said.
As per a Tourism Department report, supporting the plan of capacity building training program under the Odisha State Youth Policy 2013, around 361 local youth have been trained in eco-tourism regions as “eco-guides” while 244 others have been prepared as state level volunteers for escorting the sightseers.
The state in reality comprises of various natural wonders including the Chilka Lake, the world’s second-biggest lagoon spread more than 1,100 km crosswise over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts; the Gahirmatha Beach, world’s biggest settling site for Olive Ridley turtles that tour all the way from South America; and the Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj that spreads 845 sq km and is home to tigers, wild elephants, gaurs, etc.With a 480-km-long coastline, the state additionally features various unblemished sea shorelines, including Chandrabhaga shoreline, Ramchandi shoreline and the erratic Chandipur Beach in Odisha’s Baleswar district where the ocean waves retreat up to 5 km consistently, enabling individuals to pursue the waves through the immense stretch of infertile land and sand rises.
“The infrastructure of a number of these spots are as yet not sufficiently grown to greet quantities of travelers. That is by all accounts the greatest test for us. We require more lodgings and foundations to come up in these regions to suit the guests,” Mr. Dev said.
As per Tourism Department authorities, the state at present has in excess of 1,800 lodgings with around 38,000 rooms and wants to put in an extra 5,000 rooms in the next three years.
“The state has more demand of rooms to accommodate visitors. By 2021, the state aims to have 2,500 star-class hotel rooms and direct air connection with five international destinations. As the Hockey World Cup is a big international event going to happen this year end, so we need additional star category hotels and rooms as extensive contingents of supporters are relied upon to go with the overseas groups. “said by a tourism official.
