In an endeavour to send out a strong message that all is well in Odisha and to attract more tourists to the destination, J P Panigrahi, Tourism Minister, Odisha led a delegation at a roadshow organised by FICCI in Mumbai. The roadshow witnessed the participation of over 150 travel and tour operators from the city, who conducted rapid B2B networking with 18 leading tour operators from Odisha, who were part of the delegation.
Commissioner cum Secretary Vishal Dev highlighted key offerings of Odisha across segments such as heritage tourism, ecotourism, ethnic tourism, and spiritual tourism amongst others. He emphasised the importance of the segment in terms of enhancing the state’s global brand image.
“Bhubaneswar, one of India’s smartest and most liveable cities, is being increasingly connected to other parts of India and the world. It is this city which received commendations from the sporting world’s who’s who for conducting arguably the best sporting events ever in the form of the Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018, following the stellar organisation of the Asian Athletics Championships 2017,” he said.
Dev highlighted the key facets of Odisha’s tourism potential starting from stunning naturally endowed locations and sprawling biodiversity to significant monuments and unique art and craft. “We are especially focusing on segments like ecotourism, ethnic and handicrafts tourism, besides capitalising on niche segments like heritage homestays and adventure tourism, so that more tourists can explore the unexplored parts of Odisha — apart from the most popular destinations like Puri and Konark,” he said.
Tourism Minister of Odisha Panigrahi hailed the government’s resolve and success at leading the state’s recovery from Super Cyclone Fani’s devastating impact. He said, “I take great pride in announcing that Odisha will be celebrating the colourful Jagannath Rathyatra from 4 to 12 July, just 2 months after the cyclone ravaged Puri. It is with this very dedication under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Mr Naveen Patnaik, that we call upon you to collaborate with us in our endeavour to give the best of India’s best kept secret to India and the world.”
