Bhubaneswar: Odisha is all poised to make a big investment in the tourism sector including a financial package for the sector, a major contributor to the state economy. “A priority destination list has been identified consisting of 70 tourism circuits. The government will invest in a big way,” said Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary, Sports and Youth Services and Tourism, Government of Odisha.

Dev, who was addressing a virtual roundtable on ‘Covid-19: Impact on the State Tourism Sector’ organized on June 12 by FICCI, an industry body, said: “For the long term, there has been a change in our approach to infrastructure development. We are developing infrastructure in a very planned and integrated manner. We are also looking at destinations in a holistic manner and preparing a master plan for each destination.”

Talking about the concerns of the tourism and hospitality sector, he said: “We are working on a detailed support package to be offered to the industry, which would include hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and self-employed people including photographers, guides, etc., among others.”

Highlighting the measures to promote Odisha tourism, he said that we are looking at road shows, road trips from the neighbouring states, and scaling up of eco-retreats to cover more destinations. “We have selected a partner that will help us in curating various itineraries and immersive experience packages to promote these packages,” noted Dev.

“We will also be investing in new products, especially cruises and houseboats. We have selected India’s largest river cruise operator to start catamarans. By early next year, we will have Odisha on the luxury river cruise map of the country,” he said.

Earlier, Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi said that while in the government scheme of things tourism may rank a little lower than other priority sectors like health and education, it is an important sector that must be supported.

“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wants to take Odisha tourism to global standards. We all must understand that the sector needs help to bounce back. The Chief Minister is expected to soon announce financial packages for the tourism sector. The need is to work towards sustainable tourism, and we cannot have a situation where risk management is not taken care of,” he added.

“Let us collectively reaffirm our commitment to preserve power and promote all aspects of tourism and hospitality to make it socially and economically sustainable,” said he, adding that FICCI Odisha State Council has not only been highlighting the issues faced by the industry and various sectors but has been partnering with the government on various issues including the supply of oxygen.

Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Chair, FICCI Odisha State Council and MD, Sambad Group, said: “We have partnered with Odisha as its national industry partner for various programmes like ‘Make in Odisha,’ ‘Krushi Odisha,’ and ‘Odisha 50’ and organizing virtual roundtable on various sectors in association with the state government. We are also a part of the state government’s task force in vaccination drive and procuring medical oxygen supply,” she said.

JK Mohanty, Co-Chair, FICCI Tourism National Committee and CMD, Swosti Group, said that the state has always put up a passionate and resolute fight towards natural calamities like cyclones and more recently Covid-19. “The Odisha government has always swung into action. Most of our (the industry’s) demands have been considered and taken up at the highest level,” he said. /BI/