TravTalk India Online Magazine
At PATA India Chapter’s Executive Meet, the travel trade from Odisha recommended to MOT to develop the Lake Chilika region and reduce GST on room tariff of ₹7,500 and above to attract more tourists to the state.
Nisha Verma
After the recent meeting of the PATA India Chapter Executive Committee, which was held in Bhubaneswar on September 4, Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Chairman, PATA India Chapter, along with Asit Kumar Tripathy, Principal Secretary, Govt of Odisha; Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism, Sports and Youth Services, Govt of Odisha; and Nirmal Chandra Mishra, Director – Tourism, Government of Odisha, had a meeting with the travel trade of 0disha. At this meeting, JK Mohanty, Chairman, Hotel & Restaurant Association of 0disha & IAT0 Eastern Region, Chairman & Managing Director of Swosti Group, Co-chairman of FICCI National Tourism Council and Member of State Tourism Promotion Council & Tourism Advisory Committee, was one of the representatives of the travel trade from the state.
Sharing details of the meeting, Mohanty said, “Among the many suggestions made, it was shared that the potential of Odisha be highlighted in all presentations of the Incredible India campaign.” He also revealed that they requested MOT to examine development of Lake Chilika as a destination for water sports and other activities. Bringing to the fore the present status of the Buddhist circuit of the state, Mohanty said that they requested infrastructural development along it, as it already was home to a lot of Buddhists of the world.
Suggestions made by Odisha travel trade
- Potential of Odisha be highlighted in Incredible India campaign
- Brochures of Odisha Tourism be made available in India Tourism offices abroad
- Development of Lake Chilika for water sports and other activities
- Infrastructural development along Buddhist Circuit
- Mega convention centre in Bhubaneswar
- GST on hotels with a tariff of ₹7,500 be reduced to eight per cent
- Hotels be included in infrastructure category under Section 80-IA of Income Tax Act
