/ -- Tourism Minister of Odisha Mr. J. P. Panigrahi last evening led a delegation at a roadshow organised by FICCI in Mumbai.
The roadshow witnessed the participation of over 150 tour and travel 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 Mr. 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.
Mr. 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 Mr. 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."
Mr. J K Mohanty, Co-Chairman - Tourism Panel, FICCI Odisha State Council and Chairman & Managing Director, Swosti Group said that Odisha is promoting Beach Tourism; Eco Tourism; Buddhist Tourism; Heritage Tourism; Religious Tourism; Medical Tourism; Travel Tourism; Tribal Tourism; Wellness Tourism; Cruise Tourism; Sand Art Tourism and Adventure Tourism, in a mission mode.
Odisha, which witnessed 1.5 crore tourist footfalls in 2018, hopes to see the numbers rise to over 2.5 crore in 2021. The state boasts some exciting tourist circuits including diverse wildlife tours across 18 protected areas and two national parks, an enigmatic Buddhist circuit, apart from the spiritually exhilarating Golden Triangle Heritage Circuit of Bhubaneswar - Puri - Konark.
About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI):
A non-government, not-for-profit organisation, FICCI is the voice of India's business and industry. From influencing policy to encouraging debate, engaging with policy makers and civil society, FICCI articulates the views and concerns of industry. It serves its members from the Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing its strength from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across states, reaching out to over 2,50,000 companies. Further information is available at: http://ficci.
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