Orissa gov to revamp tourism policy

The Orissa government will soon launch a new tourism policy with a thrust to woo private investment for development of tourism
infrastructure. The state already has drawn up a perspective plan for 15 per cent growth in tourist arrival within the next five years.

The perspective plan, which got recently approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was prepared keeping employment, infrastructure and publicity in view.

“We expect a footfall of 1.2 crore by 2014,” Minister of Tourism Debi Prasad Mishra said here, adding that last year, 69.1 lakh tourists had visited the state.

The plan envisages tourism projects which would generate direct employment for 1.2 lakh people and indirect employment for another 3 lakh, he said.

The state government also plans to organise Orissa Travel Mart prior to the famous Car Festival at Puri. At present, there are 24,197 rooms available in 1,232 hotels in the state. By 2014, it is expected to increase to 35,752 rooms.

As the rate of foreign tourist flow was low, the state government decided to launch its campaign in the international media in a bid to attract more foreigners, Mishra added.