OdishaPlus Bureau
As curtains came down on the Odisha Travel Bazaar on sunday, the participating foreign tour operators were urged to include Odisha in their travel packages when they prepare India specific itinerary for international travelers.
“We requested foreign tour operators to add Odisha in their packages. Normally, they are preparing 3 nights and 4 days’ packages for their customers. If Odisha gets a place in their packages then it will help Odisha Tourism in a big way,” said Utpal Pati, Joint Director, Odisha Tourism Department. On the development of tourism infrastructure in the State, Pati said, “A land bank is being prepared for the tourism and hospitality industry. We have identified land in Chilika, Gopalpur and Puri-Konark area.”
Private players evinced keen interest to set up eco-cottage, water park and theme park in major tourist destinations in Odisha. Some of them even showed interested to visit places like Sambalpur, Jeypore, and Rayagada.
Investors, who participated in Odisha Travel Bazaar, gave priority to royal palaces, eco-cottages, and other high-quality facilities.
Domestic tour operators too were interested to know about unexplored destinations and new products coming to Odisha.
Dharmendra Singh Pleasure Hospitality, Mumbai said that “Rich in culture and tradition, Odisha is a very nice destination for tourists. It’s truly the best-kept secret of India.” The Odisha Government, in association with FICCI, has really taken a wonderful initiative to promote Odisha Tourism, he added.
Stating that Odisha Travel Bazaar is the best platform to promote Odisha, Akansha Dwivedi, a participant, commented that Odisha must get the exposure it deserves. People should come and experience the mesmerizing beauty of Odisha, she added.
“My experience with Odisha is fabulous. The hospitality we get here is awesome. The beauty of Odisha kept me spellbound,” said Hyderabad-based J Tourism Managing Director Raman Banerjee.
After exploring some of the beautiful destinations of Odisha in FAM trips, the Foreign Tour Operators were taken on a Heritage Trail today to uncover the best-kept secrets of Odisha that lies in the hidden walls of numerous temples in the old city of Bhubaneswar. The walk which started from the Parsuremeswar temple complex, culminated at Ekamra Van covering Mukteswar and Lingaraj Temple. Tourism Director Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav and other officials of the Tourism Department and FICCI took part in the heritage walk.
The Odisha Travel Bazaar-2019 witnessed a phenomenal record of 2,400 B2B meetings both with domestic and foreign buyers. The positive outcome from this initiative showed that with sustained campaign Odisha will be one of the premier tourist destinations in the country.
