When cities invest in tourism, they invest in jobs, entrepreneurship, and growth. Similarly, city river tourism centres on transforming urban waterways into vibrant recreational, cultural, and scenic hubs through riverfront promenades, boat clubs, and eco-restoration projects. Beyond cosmetic changes that merely place concrete over riverbeds, urban river and waterfront management initiatives can balance ecological restoration, flood resilience, and sustainable tourism while creating an ecosystem for local economic growth.
Take Marrakech as an example. In 2024, the city welcomed nearly 4 million tourists, each supporting livelihoods from hotel staff to street vendors, guides to artisans. Similarly, in 2024, travel and tourism contributed about 10 per cent of global gross domestic product and supported an estimated 357 million jobs, over 10 per cent of all employment worldwide. By 2035, forecasts suggest the sector could generate about 91 million additional roles, potentially one in three net new jobs globally. With 1.2 billion young people expected to reach working age in developing countries over the next decade, these new opportunities will be crucial.
The lion’s share of this growth is taking place in cities and towns. The future of urban tourism and jobs depends on smart investments and strong institutions. Cities must preserve their natural assets and cultural heritage, build resilient infrastructure, and foster collaboration across sectors.
Bhubaneswar must take advantage of its existing rivers, canals, and historical sites. The roles played by the Gandhabati, Kuakhai, and Daya rivers cannot be overlooked. In earlier times, Bhubaneswar was known as ‘Varanasi’, and the Gandhabati was known as the ‘Gangabati’.
Along the banks of these three rivers, significant historical landmarks flourished: Ekamra Kshetra for Shaivism devotees, as well as sites like Khandagiri-Udayagiri and Dhauli, which held great importance for followers of Jainism and Buddhism, respectively. Furthermore, an advanced civilisation developed around urban centres like Sisupalgarh, which featured advanced town planning for its era. These rivers likely served as vital transportation routes and facilitated riverine trade. Yet today they lie neglected. Most surprisingly, if you ask local residents about ‘Gangabati,’ many do not recognise the name, yet they immediately identify it when it is called the ‘Gangua Nala’ (Gangua drain).
Rivers constitute a major tourism resource, providing spectacular settings, recreation facilities, a means of transport, a sense of heritage and adventure, and links with the environment and natural world. River tourism accounts for a significant proportion of the world’s tourism, with activities such as cruises and rafting holidays making it an economically important sector.
In the past, no city could match the spirit of Bhubaneswar, nor will any be able to do so in the future; however, the protection of our rivers depends heavily on present-day civilisation. With its proximity to a diverse river and canal system, Bhubaneswar must now focus more on river tourism for both domestic and foreign visitors.
Looking ahead, Bhubaneswar needs to institutionalise river-sensitive urban planning as a model, enabling new approaches across the city to adopt integrated, basin-based strategies for sustainable development. By placing rivers at the centre of urban planning, this initiative represents a transformative step towards building resilient, sustainable, and future-ready cities while safeguarding one of Bhubaneswar’s most vital ecological and cultural lifelines.
