The Orissa tourism department is expecting a 10 per cent growth in its inbound tourist arrivals, both domestic and overseas during the peak tourism season in the state this year despite the outbreak of communal violence in Kandhamal district.
“We are expecting a 10 per cent growth in the overall tourist arrivals in Orissa during this year’s tourism season despite the outbreak of violence in Kandhamal district”, Rabi Nanda, director (tourism), Orissa government told Business Standard.
He said, the tourism department has got an additional allocation of Rs 1 crore for tourism publicity compared to the amount of Rs 6.5 crore which was allocated last year.
The additional allocation of Rs 1 crore this year for tourism publicity is aimed at boosting tourist arrivals in Orissa, said Nanda adding, “The media should refrain from negative publicity as it threatens to dent the image of the state as an attractive tourism destination.”
The upcoming Konark festival from December 1-5 and the Puri beach festival scheduled in the third week of January will help pull tourists to the state, he informed. In 2007, Orissa witnessed the arrival of about 51 lakh tourists which comprised about 42,000 overseas tourists.
Nanda further said that the Orissa tourism department expects to ink MoUs (memorandum of understanding) with the Rajasthan government as well as Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) by the end of December this year. While the MoU with the Rajasthan government is for joint promotion of tourism products of the two states, the agreement with IATO is for offering training to professionals engaged in tourism and hospitality sectors in Orissa.
Earlier, the Orissa tourism minister had announced that the state tourism ministry will appoint special tourism officers, some of whom may be posted outside Orissa for promoting the state’s tourism products. The tourism ministry also had plans to set up special tourism offices in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Goa.
