Bhubaneswar: Odisha Tourism made its presence felt at the three-day annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) with the theme “20 Million Foreign Tourists by 2020” by winning the awards for best booth, presentation and brochures at the event which concluded in Vishakhapatnam on Saturday.
IATO delegates who visited the Odisha Tourism stall at the convention praised the efforts of the management in boosting the state’s popularity.
Odisha Tourism’s campaign ‘Odisha by Morning, Hockey by Evening’ branding was also displayed.
Odisha Tourism is the host partner of the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, which is slated to be held from November 28 to December 16 and is constantly giving ‘Sports Tourism’ a great push.
Odisha Tourism Development Corporation’s Managing Director, Nitin Jawale was present at the convention and also showcased a presentation representing the growth of the tourism industry in Odisha.
Jawale said, “We have recorded a substantial growth in tourist arrivals in Odisha and are bolstering our efforts to improve infrastructure and facilities to keep the momentum going.”
“With our marquee event, the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 taking place in November with 16 countries participating, we are expecting an increased foreign footfall of around 13,000. Events such as IATO are great to keep a track of how our tourism industry is progressing,” he added.
