Swadesh Darshan 2.0: Tourism Spotlight On Koraput; Next Wedding Destination In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Covered with thick forests and dotted by pristine waterfalls and deep valleys, Koraput in Odisha will soon find a place on the national tourism map with the Centre including the district under the revamped Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, which aims at developing destination tourism in the country.

“Koraput is one of the 50 destinations in the country chosen for promotion as part of India’s new destination-focused tourism policy under the redesigned Swadesh Darshan scheme, which was announced by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union budget-2023,” India Tourism Sagnik Chowdhury said while attending the 5th Odisha Tourism Conclave organised by the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Odisha on Thursday.

Tourist footfall in Koraput, known for its majestic hills, caves, culture and coffee, is minimal in the absence of proper tourism infrastructure. The state government, on the other hand, is already working towards projecting the district as a perfect wedding destination both nationally and internationally on the lines of Jodhpur in Rajasthan by introducing the concept at Deomali hill in Koraput.

Chowdhury added that the state government are required to prepare a detailed project report and sent it to the Ministry of Tourism where the steering committee will decide on what elements to be finalised in the scheme and accordingly funds will be approved, sanctioned and released in a phased manner.

In the first phase of the scheme, Gopalpur, Barkul, Tampara and Satapada were developed under the Coastal Circuit Tourism. “The destinations have also been handed over to the state government for management and I hope they are doing good in terms of attracting tourists,” he added.