In view of the upcoming 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup to be held in the Kalinga Stadium here in November-December, the Odisha Tourism has decided to launch e-Tourist Visa service at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).
The e-Tourist Visa facility is currently available for citizens of 150 countries at 16 airports in India.
With implementation of the scheme at the BPIA, foreign visitors can avail e-visa within a short period of time.
The Odisha Tourism move will help in increasing the number of foreign tourists to Odisha, said Tourism Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev.
Notably, Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup is scheduled to begin on November 28 and to continue till December 16. The Government has estimated that over 10,000 foreigners would witness the mega sports event. With availability of e-visa services at the BPIA, the influx of foreign tourists to the State is expected to rise significantly, a source said. Meanwhile, the Air India has already announced to resume Bhubaneswar-Bangkok international flight from December 1.