Banking on Buddhist circuit

Odisha is going all out to promote its Buddhist heritage and hopes to attract South East Asian tourists through its international air connectivity, informs Nitin Jawale, Director–Tourism, Odisha.

Ahana Gurung

The commencement of international operations at the Bhubaneshwar airport has given renewed push for tourism in the state. In 2016, Odisha registered a growth of 9 per cent in domestic arrivals while international visitor receipts grew by 14 per cent.

Nitin Jawale, Director – Tourism, Government of Odisha and Managing Director, Odisha Tourism Development Corporation, says they are looking forward to seeing the growth multiply by the end of this year. “A growth of 150 per cent is expected in terms of foreign arrivals. Several promotional activities are in pipeline and we hope the numbers double this year,” he comments.

Odisha’s primary focus is Buddhist Tourism owing to the numerous ancient religious sites located in the state. Relics from the 8th-10th centuries, like the Shanti Stupa and the monastery of Pushpagiri, which are of immense significance for Buddhists, can be found in Lalitagiri, Ratnagiri and Udaygiri hills among many others. Additionally, Air Asia has commenced direct flights from its capital Kuala Lumpur to Bhubaneshwar, giving impetus to tourism.

Jawale adds, “Our target is the South-East Asian market since we have direct connectivity to Kuala Lumpur now. It will help open avenues to the other countries as well. The ASEAN countries have a huge Buddhist population and thanks to our rich religious history and heritage, we feel this is the most appropriate market to tap.”

The 4th Kalinga International Buddhist Conclave was held in the state earlier this year in a bid to boost religious tourism and hosted numerous monks, tour operators, hotels and various stakeholders. “We are also planning to conduct some roadshows and promotional campaigns in SE Asia. However, we expect to receive significant traffic from other neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka as well, which has a big Buddhist community.” The state is looking forward to hosting IATO Convention from September 7-10, in Bhubaneswar.