Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Government of Odisha, highlighted the need for a self-sustainable, responsible and community-driven tourism sector during a webinar – ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth – Reflections & Way Forward’, organised by Odisha Tourism jointly with FICCI, as part of World Tourism Day 2021 celebrations.
“Odisha presents an untapped reservoir of niche tourism experiences. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we witnessed the strength and resilience shown by the stakeholders of the tourism and hospitality industry in creating a safe, secure and an experientially enriching atmosphere for travellers to explore Odisha – India’s Best Kept Secret,” says Odisha’s Chief Minister.
“The theme of World Tourism Day 2021 is Tourism for Inclusive Growth. As the travel and tourism sector continues its battle against the pandemic, Odisha Tourism is taking rapid strides towards integrated development of the State’s tourism sector that is self-sustainable and supports wider economic recovery. Sustainable and responsible tourism is intrinsic to Odisha,” added Patnaik.
While elaborating on the initiatives taken by Government of Odisha the Chief Minister says, “Sustainable and responsible tourism is intrinsic to Odisha. Our key offerings are community oriented. Odisha’s award-winning ecotourism initiative of community managed nature camps exemplifies this model in letter and spirit. We have also introduced the Odisha Homestay Establishment Scheme 2021 to enable creation of immersive tourism experiences through operationalisation of homestays at unexplored bio-diverse destinations with rich culture while boosting local entrepreneurship and augmenting rural livelihoods.”
“In our efforts to establish Odisha as a tourism hub of global standards, we are actively working on infrastructure development through integrated master planning of identified priority destinations across the State with scope for community participation and incorporation of sustainable value adding enterprises like handicrafts and promotion of authentic Odia Cuisine,” he further informed.
Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister of Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha, said that Odisha has reworked the strategy and vision for Tourism in the post covid environment while ensuring that safety is the priority.
Highlighting the tremendous potential of tourism in the state, Panigrahi said, “We have unique landscape, vibrant culture and heritage sites in the state of Odisha. As mentioned by our Hon’ble Chief Minister, our government is committed to take care of ecotourism in a community driven model which is also sustainable. The state also received the Silver Award for ‘The Best Future Forward State’ at the 6th India Responsible Tourism Awards. Odisha is a leader in Tourism and Sports. The state also leads in many other sectors such as women empowerment which is emulated by other states.”
