Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 4^th Edition of Odisha Travel Bazaar at Hotel Mayfair Convention. This 3-day extravaganza opened to huge responses with 83 Domestic Tour Operators participating in the Exhibition and showcasing their tourism products.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said: “We have identified 17 priority destinations encompassing beaches, biodiversity zones, heritage monuments and areas of religious and cultural importance for integrated master-planning-based development. With products which are centered around key tourism offerings to match global standards, Odisha will be able to attract not just the finest brands in the business of travel and hospitality but also tourists looking for experiential that are bespoke with a fresh perspective”.

Patnaik iterated that in recent times Odisha has evolved into the sports capital of India and has been hosting international marquee events such as the recently concluded FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup and now has the rare opportunity of hosting FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup for the second consecutive time in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in January 2023. Deliberating on the many tourism offerings Odisha has to offer, Patnaik welcomed the tourism fraternity and sought their active contribution in marketing the State.

Deliberating on the diverse tourism offerings Odisha has Tourism Minister Aswini Kumar Patra highlighted Chief Minister Patnaik’s vision due to which the State has seen unprecedented growth in recent years with respect to the creation of tourism infrastructure and substantial increase in budget for the development of tourism.

Surendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha said:  “Odisha as a state has many things to offer for all tourists. We are probably the only state in the country that increased its forest cover in last two decades. The state’s infrastructure is well developed keeping in sync with the potential of these destinations.”

During the event, Tourism Minister launched Z-cards, a pocket-size mini brochure that showcases 15 different tourist circuits comprising culture, heritage, beaches, wildlife, etc. A cultural programme showcasing Odisha’s performing arts such as Odissi and Sambalpuri folk dance was organized post the interactive session.

Chairman OTDC Dr Lenin Mohanty, CMD Swosti Group of Hotels, JK Mohanty, and Deputy Secretary General FICCI  Manav Majumdar were also present on the occasion. A presentation on Odisha’s tourism profile and potential was made by Director of Tourism Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav. Additional Secretary Tourism was also present during the event.

Earlier in the day, Minister of Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Excise and Tourism Aswini Kumar Patra inaugurated theB2B exhibition at Hotel Swosti Premium.

83 buyers from cities like Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chandrapur, Chennai, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mangalgiri, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nasik, New Delhi and NCR, Panjim, Pune, Raipur, Rohtak, Siliguri, Surendra Nagar, Trivandrum, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam participated in the event.

On this occasion, Principal Secretary Tourism Surendra Kumar, Director Tourism Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Co-Chairman FICCI Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee and CMD Swosti Hotels  J K Mohanty and OSD Tourism  Ansuman Rath were also present.