TravTalk India Online Magazine
During a meeting in Bhubaneswar with HRAO members, SR Jadhav, Director & Additional Secretary – Tourism, Government of Odisha, said that tourism was being considered a priority sector by the state and several development projects were underway or in the pipeline.
Manas Dwivedi
Expressing his gratitude to Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) for organising the forum and facilitating a direct interaction with the travel trade of Odisha, SR Jadhav said that tourism is being considered a priority sector by the state. He shared that it would be under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik.
As part of its plan to prioritise tourism projects in the state, Jadhav said that several developmental works were being initiated by the government, broadly divided into category A, B and C.
“Under category-A,” he said, “five important destinations have been earmarked, i.e. Satkosia, Hirakud, Bhitarkanika, Chilika and Puri-Konark, and the necessary bidding and preparation of a master plan are already under process. By the end of 2022 or early 2023, the developmental works
at some of these destinations will be complete.”
Jadhav added, “Similarly, under categories B and C, master plans for development of Nandankanan, Daringbadi, Similipal, Udaypur, Talsari, the Buddhist Circuit, Harishankar and Nrusinghnath eco-tourist destinations, Dhabaleswar, Cuttack and Deomali of Koraput District are under process, which will boost the tourism potential of western and southern Odisha.”
In fact, he shared that 46 interior or remote destinations had been identified by the Department and that good connectivity as well as infrastructure in these destinations would be taken up by them.
“These steps will hugely contribute to the tourism and hospitality sector. The tourism department is also giving utmost importance to cruise tourism by developing water sports, houseboat facilities, amusement parks, etc. The government is preparing a master plan for the same. Many other tourism projects are also in the pipeline, including development of Chandrabhaga and Ramchandi beach, an ecotourism roadmap for Odisha, integrated development of Mahendragiri Hill in Gajapati District under the Ramayana Circuit, and development of Kantakabi Laxmikant Mohapatra Memorial Park at Bhadrak, among others,” Jadhav shared.
Odisha Tourism will also focus on promoting Odia cuisine, developing eco-cottages at prominent forest and eco-destinations under the PPP model. In association with IDCO, the state department of tourism is also in the process of identification of private as well as government land which will be made available under the land bank, to be utilised for tourism purposes through a single window.
Jadhav also shared with attendees that in the last two years, 15 hotel and 13 resort projects, as well as other projects such as two amusement parks, a day cruise, a houseboat, two water sports, four multiplexes, and four motels/WACs had been approved by the single window clearance authority.
