Shreemayee Sweta Snigdha Mishra is currently Chairperson of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). An accomplished singer, a veritable dancer, a seasoned anchor in television and a champion of women’s rights and liberation, she came to politics being inspired by popular leader Naveen Patnaik. She hails from a family with educational ambience and cultural excellence.
She had her graduation from the Sailabala Women’s College, Cuttack and was elected as president of the Students’ Union of this premier educational institution. Later, she had her MTech from the Utkal University. She hugged limelight for her inimitable style of anchoring and acting in several TV channels. As a folk artist, she is acclaimed for her lyrical grace and pace in the Sambalpuri dances.
With her lovely, lilting melodious serenading of the composition “Naveen Naveen Naveen” together with vocalist Jayashree Dhal, she has become immensely popular among the masses. She had organised an interesting event “Ama Ghara, Ama Handishala” by housewives through the OTDC to promote the excellence of Odia cuisine. She is a BJD general secretary and a spokesperson of the party. In an interview to The Pioneer, she spoke to Sugyan Choudhury on many issues and programmes concerning the OTDC.
What are the plans on your agenda to galvanise the pandemic-hit tourism sector in Odisha?
Tourism has been amongst the hardest-hit sectors during this pandemic, which does not show signs of going away soon. We have had to reorient our strategy in view of the contingency. Focus was redirected to leisure destination / eco destination as the urban areas and hotels are suffering the most. Since use of public transport is limited, travel by road is being promoted where tourists can use their own transport and visit eco and leisure tourism destinations.
In FY 2020-21, from November to February, results have been encouraging. There is a steady flow of tourists and most of the leisure and ecotourism destinations are well-occupied. New products, some of them niche like Eco Retreat, Cruise Boat, Beach Shacks, etc., are either already introduced or being planned in the coming days.
When tourism is an enormous subject including adventure tourism, ecotourism, nature and water tourism, why does the OTDC concentrate only on accommodation, transport and catering?
You are right. Diversification is on the agenda which is being actively followed. As stated above, the OTDC has indeed been concentrating on ecotourism and water tourism in the past two years. Silver City Boat Club at Cuttack, water sports facilities at Tampara and Gopalpur are some of the initiatives. Eco Retreats were organised in five locations last year. Despite the pandemic, we would proclaim that it was a hit. Plans are on the anvil to have seven locations in the current year. Some Eco Cottages are being planned at Tampara and Hirakud. Private investors are offered land at concessional rate and allowed other incentives for putting up hotels and resorts. To promote Odia cuisine, a “Nimantran” chain of hotels will be started soon after the pandemic relents.
When countries like Sweden earn major foreign exchanges, why can’t the OTDC generate enough foreign exchanges to boost the State’s economy?
I am not too sure if a comparison with Sweden with its per capita income and living standards would be proper. But yes, we would aspire to do the same kind of leveraging and up our earnings including from foreign exchange. It’s a State tourism corporation operating in a different country and primarily handling budget tourists. We would go about it in a structured way.
Foreign tourist flow to the State was increasing steadily after international connectivity from the Bhubaneswar airport. In view of the pandemic again, we cannot be bullish on foreign tourists at the moment. We would be discrete and try to attract domestic tourists who otherwise were targeting foreign destinations.
How do you envision generating employment opportunities for jobless youths out of nature’s beauty and bounty endowed to Odisha?
New tourism initiatives like promotion of ecotourism will generate local employment. The Department of Tourism is working to attract potential investors for investment in the hotel sector. Last year, three reputed national hotel chains, ITC, Taj, Lemon Tree, have started operations from Bhubaneswar.
Many other international groups are putting up hotels including Novotel and Marriot which are in advanced stages. All these will help local employment generation. We are also trying to rope in Women Self-Help Groups to the hospitality sector. The OTDC is providing support to many SHGs to establish start-ups on the sidelines of the tourism industry by channelising CSR funds.
It is learnt that the State Government has not yet made adequate safety measures for the tourists especially to the leap homes overseas, for which the foreign exchange income is hindered. What is your observation?
Odisha always is a peaceful and hospitable State. Our Honourable CM Shree Naveen Patnaik takes pride in the inherent hospitality spirit of Odisha and encourages the tourism sector with all priority. The Home Department has eased out travel restrictions to the tribal districts for the foreign tourists.
When privatisation is on the anvil, how do you contemplate on the future of OTDC?
As of now, the OTDC has 21 hotels. They are mostly small hotels having limited facilities. The locations of these hotels are strategic. But due to limited facilities and services, the value of the locations could not be unlocked properly.
It has been decided that the OTDC shall focus on limited properties and upgrade them to at least 3-Star categories. Remaining properties will be developed on PPP mode by reputed brands. This two-pronged strategy is being followed for greater customer satisfaction and return on investment (RoI). Better, upgraded and well-maintained facilities, it is hoped, would bring in more tourists.
The presence of OTDC for designing the architecture of tourist destinations like Puri and other beach areas is conspicuously absent when internationalisation of such places are on the anvil. What’s your response?
Puri has been the centre of attention of our Honourable CM. Considering the importance of the site in tourism terms and otherwise, he has a special liking for Puri. Under his guidance, the Puri transformation plan has been implemented and in very quick time. The Puri beach has been developed significantly.
The Niladri Beach and the Blue Flag Beach (the recognition came because of the push from the CM’s good offices) have come up well in Puri and are major tourist attractions apart from Lord Jagannath Temple.
Similar Blue Flag Beaches have been planned in six other locations which will certainly improve tourist experience in the beach destinations. The OTDC has come up with a new cafeteria named ‘The White Crab’ in Blue Flag Beach and at Chandrabhaga where people can get authentic seafood. I guess all this together are aimed at, and will facilitate, internationalisation.