To attract tourists globally, Odisha tourism has launched a marine drive eco-retreat with a unique blend of premium glamorous camping, luxury, heritage, and nature. The marine drive eco retreat has been identified as Eastern India’s first ‘Glamping’ festival. The retreat is set up at the Ramachandi Beach near the Konark Sun Temple and will go on till January 31, 2020.
The retreat is offering a unique experience with 50 cottages, luscious cuisine, beach spa, adventure and water sports activities, nature trails, wholesome day itineraries, and cultural evenings. “We realised that Puri-Konark marine drive, despite boasting a beautiful synthesis of heritage, nature, artistic finesse and food, was largely a day tourism destination. Its potential as a premium beach holiday destination was under-explored”, said an official.
“While we had fortified our vision with the principle of sustainability, our quest to develop the destination as an experience-rich beach tourism hub of global standards was undaunted”, said Odisha Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi.
The eco-retreat has been built keeping in mind an environmentally sustainable model incorporating best practices in material utilisation, zero liquid and sewerage discharge, and holistic waste management. Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism, Vishal Dev, also highlighted the corporate conferencing facility with an accommodation of 50 participants.
“Odisha’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events) tourism quotient will surely get a golden touch with the corporate package that we are offering through the eco-retreat. It is an ideal corporate offsite destination with every ingredient required to make it a wholesome memorable experience. Eco-retreat will soon be recognised as the most favoured MICE product in the country”, he said.
The retreat will also host food festivals, a beach market, events for mega evenings all of which will be accessible to day visitors at affordable entry prices.