Around 40 ecotourism destinations, including beach resorts, hill stations in tribal belts, forests and nature camps, would be opened in the State after the Covid-19 situation improves, said Tourism Director Sachin Ramchandra Jhadav. Jhadav was attending a webinar on “Investment and Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Tourism in Odisha”. organised by the Odisha Corporate Foundation (OCF) on Friday.
The Tourism Department has been taking measures to popularise handicrafts and traditional cuisines of the State besides maintaining and renovating the tourist spots, he said.
Hotel and Restaurants Association of Odisha (HRAO) chairman JK Mohanty said the State should give stress on development of the hotel industry. “While States like Kerala and Maharashtra have 93 and 90 star hotels, respectively, Odisha has only nine,” he said. Former Central Board of Direct Taxes member Prasanna Dash and former Chief Secretary BK Patnaik spoke, among others.