Bhubaneswar: Odisha has seen a substantial increase in the footfall of foreign and domestic tourists in the recent years.
“Over 1.33 lakh foreign tourists visited Odisha in five years, starting 2020, with the highest of 53,392 in 2024,” Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also holds the Tourism portfolio, told the Assembly on Saturday.
Replying in writing to a query from BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy, Parida shared comparative figures of tourist inflows over the past years. “Odisha received 1,33,161 foreign visitors from 2020 to 2024 – 10,206 in 2020, 2,269 in 2021, 22,121 in 2022, 45,173 in 2023 and 53,392 in 2024,” she said.
Likewise, the footfall of domestic tourists is also on the rise with the state attracting almost 44 lakh tourists from different parts of the country in 2024. Odisha hosted 38,90,369 visitors from other states in 2023, 31,47,466 in 2022, 14,97,076 in 2021 and 18,49,066 in 2020, she added.
Similarly, local tourism within Odisha also saw an upward trend. A total of 65,98,982 tourists explored destinations across the state in 2024, compared to 58,34,815 in 2023, 47,20,443 in 2022, 22,45,145 in 2021 and 27,73,207 in 2020.
Parida further informed that the state government has extended tourist-friendly infrastructure at 378 recognised sites. Special Tourist Police Cells have been set up at eight prominent tourist destinations – Puri, Chandrabhaga, Dhauli, Lingaraj Temple, Nandankanan, Satapada, Gopalpur, and Chandipur – to ensure the safety of tourists. “Patrolling has also been intensified along Puri–Konark and Puri–Satapada routes. 400 lifeguards, 100 by the Home department and 300 by private agencies, are deployed on beaches in Puri. Another 50 private lifeguards have been stationed at Gopalpur beach,” she said.
She further informed that 78 tourist officers are posted across the state to promote tourism.
