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As many as 2.8 million domestic tourists have visited Odisha in the first three months of the 2014 calendar year. Also, 21903 overseas tourists visited the state in the period, tourism & culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda informed the assembly in a written reply.
Till March 2014, Odisha drew the most domestic tourists from West Bengal (393,620) followed by Andhra Pradesh (98,405) and Maharashtra (73,663). Among foreign tourists, UK, USA and France were the top three countries contributing to tourist footfall in Odisha. In 2013, the state drew 9.8 million domestic tourists and 66,675 overseas tourists.
The minister said the state government has framed a new tourism policy. The policy offers a host of incentives for the sector like allotment of land at IPR (Industrial Policy Resolution) rates and capital investment subsidy of up to 35 per cent of the project cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs 40 lakh. As per the policy, developers of tourism projects will also enjoy 30 per cent reimbursement for five years on VAT.
