According to State Tourism Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, Odisha is anticipating a tourist footfall of around 2.4 crores in 2021. In 2018, the state saw 1.5 crore tourists visiting from all over the world.
Odisha is packed with tourist hotspots boasting 19 protected areas, including two national parks, and a Buddhist circuit, Dev said during a roadshow conducted by Odisha Tourism in Kolkata. Dev also highlighted the state’s ambition of luring a larger number of foreign tourists in the coming years.
“We are emphasising on adventure tourism to target the foreign visitors who are more interested in such events,” said Odisha Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi. According to him, the state witnessed around one lakh foreign tourists in 2018.
Panigrahi went on to add that in 2019, West Bengal contributed to the highest share of domestic tourists from a particular state. He also confirmed that the state will continue to focus on ethnic, handicrafts and eco-tourism besides carving out unique segments of heritage homestays and adventure sports.
“We are planning to give a new look to virgin beaches. We are developing another beach near Puri,” added Panigrahi.