Odisha Travel Bazaar (OTB) from October 14 to 20

OdishaPlus Bureau

Odisha Tourism lines up over 2400 B2B meetings between the Buyers and Sellers at OTB 2019

The Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha in partnership with FICCI is set to conduct the third edition of Odisha Travel Bazaar (OTB) on October 14-20, 2019 at Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

It is culmination of the Department’s proactive outreach to stakeholders of the tourism & hospitality sector through a series of domestic roadshows and during landmark events such as the ITB Berlin, WTM London, GITB Jaipur and many more national tourism events.

OTB 2019 will be inaugurated by Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha.

Odisha Tourism Dept. organised a pre-event press meet at Bhubaneswar, today, to inform the media on the core elements of Odisha Travel Bazaar 2019. Mr. Vishal Kumar Dev, Secretary Tourism, Sports & Youth Services, Govt. of Odisha, highlighted on the impact of OTB in showcasing Odisha in the global platform while addressing the press.

Mr. Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister, Odia Language, Literature & Culture and Tourism department said that the Govt. has been trying to connect Odisha with the rest of the world through various communication tools. The Dept. is putting all efforts to highlight our tourism resources and pulling more number of domestic and foreign visitors year by year. He expressed confidence that Odisha can be showcased as the heart of India Tourism in the coming days.

Hospitality leader, Chairman Swosti Group of Hotels and the Co-Chairman, National Tourism Committee of FICCI Mr. JK Mohanty also addressed the media at the converence.

At OTB 2019, the state will host 26 leading Foreign Tour Operators from across 16 countries, 60 leading Domestic Tour Operators from across 19 cities in India, as well as international airline and travel writers.  The visiting stakeholders will be engaged in B2B meetings with about 50 tour operators and hoteliers from Odisha who will be participating as Sellers to showcase and market the tourism products of Odisha, along with Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Odisha Tourism.

The key highlight of the Summit is its exclusive focus on the business of inbound and domestic tourism. The Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs) and Domestic Tour Operators (DTOs) will be taken on FAM trips to familiarize about the tourism destinations of Odisha. Structured Buyer–Seller meets will be facilitated over three days (18^th – 20^th October) to enable domestic and international collaborations in business opportunities presented by Odisha’s tourism and hospitality landscape.

Around 2400 pre-scheduled B2B meetings will be organized between the Buyers and Sellers at Sellers’ booths in three days of OTB 2019.

Apart from this, exclusive Familiarization (FAM) Trips will be organized for the participating Foreign Tour Operators, top of the line Inbound Tour Operators and leading Domestic Tour Operators. The purpose of hosting a FAM tour is to enhance the participants’ destination awareness to enable them to develop and promote diverse Tourism Products and Packages. There are 3 FAM Tours being planned focusing on Odisha’s Buddhist Sites, the Golden Triangle and the Ethnic Tourism Circuit set in the state’s predominantly tribal, central and southern regions.

The FAM Tour I starts from Bhubaneswar and will cover Puri, Konark, Buddhist Sites and Bhitarkanika National Parks. It covers:

• Dhauli (Shanti Stupa), a historical site associated with famous Kalinga War and the subsequent global spread of Buddhism (3^rd century BC)
• Raghurajpur, a heritage crafts village in Puri famous for Pattachitra art besides several other handicrafts
• Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO Heritage Site known worldwide for its grandeur, architectural and artistic excellence
• The Diamond Triangle of Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri & Udayagiri – a major Buddhist complex in Odisha’s Jajpur district, housing beautiful stupas, ‘esoteric’ Buddha images, and monasteries
• Bhitarkanika National Park including a boat safari.

FAM II tour will cover the Golden Triangle of Odisha and Chilika Lagoon which is the heart of the state’s tourism epicentre. It includes

• Dhauli (Shanti Stupa), a historical site associated with famous Kalinga War and the subsequent global spread of Buddhism (3^rd century BC)
• Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO Heritage Site known worldwide for its grandeur, architectural and artistic excellence
• Visit Chandrabhaga Beach and proceed to Puri. Visit some properties.
• Next day visit Raghurajpur Crafts Village and then proceed to Swosti Chilika Resorts at Chilika.
• Next morning visit Mangalajodi and back to Bhubaneswar visit Khandagiri & Udayagiri caves etc.

FAM III will cover Ethnic Tours which includes

• Chatikona Tribal Market, Onkadeli and visit Desia Eco Resort, etc.
• Also visit the landscapes of Koraput, Jeypore and Malkanagiri districts. Of all the states of India,
• Odisha houses the largest number of tribes, as many as 62, which constitute an impressive 24 percent of the total population of the state. These tribes mainly inhabit hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats. These vibrant haats offer fascinating insights and experiences to tourists and explorers.