Odisha signs MoUs to promote homestay

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Tourism Department on Sunday signed MoUs to facilitate the establishment of homestays and promotion of adventure and heritage tourism in the State. The department signed an MoU with the State Bank of India (SBI) to provide financial support for homestays, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida. In a significant step towards expanding adventure tourism in Odisha, the Department of Tourism signed another MoU with the Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association.

The third MoU was signed between the Department of Tourism and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to strengthen the institutional framework for heritage tourism. Addressing the gathering, Parida underscored the transformative potential of tourism in generating livelihood opportunities, nurturing entrepreneurship and enabling communities to become active stakeholders in Odisha’s growth story.

The Deputy Chief Minister highlighted the need to integrate technology, sustainability, heritage, innovation and community participation to strengthen Odisha’s tourism ecosystem and enhance the visitor experience across destinations. She urged stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of tourism reach local communities and create new opportunities for youth, women, entrepreneurs, artisans and tourism service providers. Parida further highlighted the importance of digital innovation and emerging technologies in improving destination discovery, access to tourism services and the overall visitor experience. The partnerships forged on World Tourism Day, she observed, would contribute towards building a more inclusive, sustainable and future-ready tourism sector in Odisha. During the event, Parida flagged off OTDC (Odisha Tourism Development Corporation) luxury coaches, aimed at enhancing tourist mobility and providing improved travel experiences for visitors to Odisha.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India