Royal Travels News

Though tourism departments of both states had inked a pact in July 2011 to promote tourism in each other's region, it is yet to pay dividends for Odisha. While only about 2,700 domestic tourists from Goa visited Odisha last year, the Odisha tourism department has so far not received a single tourist from Goa via the Goa tourism.

"We have so far sent several families on package tours to Goa. But the Goa tourism has not yet sold any of our tour packages. We are hopeful that the road show would benefit us," said Alok Mishra, marketing manager of Odisha tourism development corporation (OTDC).

"Now, most of the tourists from Goa are booking through online or other private channels. As a result, the state government is losing huge revenue," Mishra said.

Tourism director Manoranjan Pattnaik, who supervised the road show in Goa, said the response was impressive. "Several tour operators and hoteliers of Goa interacted with our delegates. They have assured us to promote Odisha tourism," Pattnaik said.

Stakeholders associated with the hospitality sector in Odisha said the state government should first develop infrastructure in the tourist destinations before inviting visitors, be it domestic or foreigners. "Goa beach is one of the most beautifully maintained beaches in India. But the Puri beach is just the opposite. The government should take steps to clean and beautify the beach. The Puri beach lacks recreation amenities," said Srimant Kumar Dash, president of India-Japan Friendship Centre, a voluntary organization working for promotion of tourism links between India and Japan.

Bhubaneswar-based tour operator Benjamin Simon said, "Attractive tour packages should be floated for tourists in Gujarat and IT-hub Bangalore. In Goa, the state government should negotiate with charter flight operators to extend services to Bhubaneswar."

Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are the next in line, where the state wants to promote wildlife and religious tourism. After Phailin, the tourism department held roadshows in Varanasi and Hyderabad last month to promote the rich tourism potential of the state.

Royal Travels News