Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated Odisha’s first houseboat in Chilika lake.
Launching the luxury house boat through video-conference, the chief minister said it would certainly improve the tourism profile of the Chilika lake and attract national and international tourists to the state.
“Chilika lake is a major bio-diversity hotspot of the country. It has potentiality to transform Odisha as a major tourist destination. My government intends to position Odisha as an important tourist destination of the country,” he said.
The luxury houseboat, named ‘Garuda’, has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured at Barkul with an investment of more than Rs 3 crore. An initiative of Vikas Eco Resorts, the services of the houseboat will be initially available at Panthaniwas in Barkul and later introduced at Satapada too, sources said.
There are two suites and four premium rooms and a bar-restaurant on the houseboat. It has also an open-air lobby on the upper deck for meetings/conferences. There is also a small swimming pool for children.
Packages include overnight stay along with full board meals, activities and cruising covering different islands in Chilika.
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