The Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) will celebrate its 40th Foundation Day on Saturday, 1 March in Puri, marking four decades of industry advocacy and tourism promotion. The milestone highlights the association’s role in shaping Odisha’s hospitality ecosystem and supporting tourism policy reforms.
HRAO will hold its anniversary celebration at Holiday Resort, Puri, with the presence of Pravati Parida, Dy Chief Minister, Government of Odisha, Sambit Patra, Member of Parliament, and Sunil Mohanty, Member of Legislative Assembly.
Established in 1986 with six members, the association today represents 388 hoteliers across Odisha. HRAO functions as a platform for industry collaboration, sharing sector insights, and promoting tourism development in partnership with government stakeholders.
Over the past four decades, HRAO has worked closely with the Tourism Department, Government of Odisha, and the Ministry of Tourism, GoI to strengthen the state’s hospitality ecosystem. The association has advocated policy measures to support tourism infrastructure, encourage investment, and promote skill development across the sector.
The association recently welcomed the Odisha Tourism (Amendment) Policy 2026, published on Sunday, 19 January, stating that several recommendations made during the Odisha Tourism Conclave 2025 have been incorporated into the policy framework.
Key provisions of the amended policy include the creation of a tourism land bank to support development of star hotels, eco resorts, wellness centres, heritage properties, convention centres, and adventure tourism infrastructure. The policy also introduces revised investment incentives, including capital investment subsidies of up to INR50 crore for projects up to INR200 crore and up to INR100 crore for projects above INR200 crore.
The policy further encourages tourism segments such as MICE, destination weddings, experiential tourism, water-based adventure tourism, aero tourism activities such as paragliding and skydiving, caravan tourism, and the promotion of Odia cuisine.
HRAO has also suggested more frequent meetings of the State Tourism Advisory Council and the State Tourism Promotion Council to accelerate policy implementation and project monitoring. The association has proposed including HRAO representation in the State Tourism Promotion Council to provide industry insights during policy discussions.
Among its initiatives, HRAO launched the Puri Beach Festival in 1992, which later evolved into a major tourism event attracting domestic and international visitors. The association has also supported improved air connectivity from Bhubaneswar to destinations such as Dubai, Bangkok, and Singapore.
Additional proposals from HRAO include improved rail connectivity to Buddhist and pilgrimage destinations, expansion of domestic flight routes, development of tourism infrastructure across priority destinations, and simplification of regulatory processes affecting hospitality businesses.
JK Mohanty, Chairman, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha, said the anniversary marks an important milestone for the organisation and reflects its continued commitment to strengthening Odisha’s tourism economy in collaboration with government and industry stakeholders.
