Odisha signs MoUs with IMF and ACI to boost adventure tourism, launch Go-Adventure portal, enhance safety norms and attract investment
OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha government on Tuesday took a significant step towards positioning the state as a premier adventure tourism hub in eastern India by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and the Aero Club of India (ACI). The agreements aim to strengthen safety standards, streamline regulations and attract fresh investment into the fast-growing adventure tourism sector.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also holds the Tourism portfolio. On the occasion, she launched the ‘Go-Adventure’ portal, a dedicated digital platform designed to simplify registration, verification and licensing procedures for adventure tourism projects across the state.
Addressing the gathering, Parida emphasised that safety would remain the cornerstone of Odisha’s adventure tourism expansion. She said the state is working towards modernising the sector through national and international partnerships, along with a renewed focus on spiritual and experience-based travel. The government, she added, intends to attract young entrepreneurs and fresh investments into adventure and experiential tourism.
Parida lauded the coordinated efforts of the Tourism, Sports and Home Departments, stating that the initiative marks a new chapter in Odisha’s tourism landscape. She called upon all departments to work collectively to transform Odisha into a world-class tourism destination.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who attended the programme, underscored that tourism development is being prioritised in line with the state’s broader vision of achieving “Utkarsh Odisha” by 2036 and contributing to the national goal of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. She stressed that departments must explore ways to support tourism growth alongside their core responsibilities and highlighted the need for convergence and collaboration.
Garg expressed confidence that a structured push to adventure tourism would energise local economies, generate large-scale employment and create new livelihood opportunities, especially in rural and tribal regions with natural tourism potential. She urged stakeholders to adopt the mantra “Think India, Think Odisha” while planning and implementing projects.
Officials said the partnership with the IMF will strengthen safety audits, standardise training modules and enhance capacity-building initiatives for land-based adventure activities such as trekking, rock climbing and mountaineering. The collaboration is expected to introduce nationally recognised safety protocols and certification systems.
Similarly, the MoU with the ACI will help regulate aerial adventure sports, including paragliding and paramotoring, in accordance with national aviation safety norms. This move is aimed at ensuring that aerial sports operators comply with technical, operational, and safety benchmarks, thereby enhancing tourist confidence.
To improve ease of doing business in the sector, the government also issued ‘Licence to Operate’ and ‘Recognition to Set Up’ certificates to several domestic adventure tourism operators during the event. Several operators were formally handed licences, signalling the government’s intent to institutionalise and regulate the sector in a transparent manner.
Among the distinguished guests, former Union Minister and ACI president Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Pawan Gupta from the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa, joined the programme virtually, lending further national significance to the initiative.
Tourism officials said the integrated approach — combining digital facilitation through the Go-Adventure portal, regulatory clarity, safety partnerships and inter-departmental coordination — is expected to enhance investor confidence and create a structured ecosystem for adventure tourism in Odisha.
With its diverse landscape ranging from beaches and rivers to hills and forests, Odisha has long held untapped potential for adventure activities. The latest initiative is expected to elevate safety standards, encourage private participation, generate employment and firmly establish the state as a leading adventure tourism destination in India.