Odisha Senior Officers’ Meet: Tapping Tourism Potential With Product Innovation & Diversification

Puri: Product innovation and diversification are keys to developing the tourism sector in Odisha,” Tourism ACS Tourism Surendra Kumar said on Day 2 of Senior Officers’ Conference at Eco Retreat, Konark, on Wednesday.

Elaborating on the recently launched Odisha Tourism Policy 2022, he said that a slew of incentives is being offered to investors along with two roadmaps, which will act as a guiding principle for development of the tourism sector with focused interventions across key destinations based on gap assessment and future plans.

“We are strategically forging ahead to develop our state as a tourism hub that offers diverse tourism offerings such as MICE, Wellness, Health, Eco-Tourism and Sports Tourism with the introduction of many innovative and niche  products such as caravans, camping, medical tourism, houseboats, cruises, yachts, etc. 16 masterplans driven integrated tourism development is currently being undertaken to develop various tourism circuits.”

Kandhamal Collector Patil Ashish Ishwar spoke about the untapped beauty of the highlands in the district. ”Kandhamal is being developed as a niche ecotourism circuit to promote its diverse landscape. From valleys like Ushabati and silent valley Mandasaru to concentrated wildlife areas like Belghar and various waterfalls or tribal tourism incorporating the Kutia Kondha tribes, several destinations have been identified. They are being upgraded to promote community-driven sustainable tourism development. Initiatives such as Nature Camps and Eco Retreat are already promoting Kandhamal’s rich tourism offerings, while many homestays are under development.”

Puri Collector Samarth Verma highlighted the tourism offerings, other than the Jagannath Temple, in the district. “Puri is being developed as a multi-day tourism destination including adventure and water sports, art and culture, leisure and luxury, ecotourism, cuisine, etc. Apart from the Eco Retreat initiative that uses sustainability as the model but attracts high-paying tourists, many resorts are being developed both in the towns of Puri and Konark. Heritage crafts village Raghurajpur, Pipili, Blue Flag Beach, Nimantran Restaurant, watersports on Puri beach and Chandrabhaga beach, Balukhand Sanctuary, and Satapada in Chilika Lake are few of the destinations and products being developed to diversify Puri’s tourism offerings.”