With the state government trying to hardsell Odisha as an international tourist destination, things are happening on the tourism front for the first time. The capital city recently hosted the Indian Association of Tour Operators(IATO) convention, a high profile event, which is expected to boost the state's tourism growth. The government is doing its bit by developing infrastructure and liasoning to showcase the best of Odisha before the world. With the state poised for a big leap in this sector, KalingaTimes.com spoke to Tourism Minister Debi Prasad Mishra exclusively on various aspects of Odisha's tourism.

KM: How's the state going to gain from the recent IATO convention?

DM: The state will gain in terms of more tourist arrivals. The IATO is the largest body of travel and tour operators which controls 80 percent of the bookings. The IATO and the expert team felt that the state would gain Rs 1000 crore more in terms of business in the next two years.

KM: It is often said that Odisha has great tourism potential but has failed to tap it. Why is it so?

DM: There is no doubt about Odisha's immense tourism potential. We have excellent tourist destinations but we are yet to develop it as a product and market it abroad. During the recent IATO convention we showed what the state has to offer to the visitors by organising pre and post convention tours. After all seeing is believing. After seeing it for themselves the IATO functionaries felt that Odisha had been neglected as a tourist destination so far.

KM: What's the government plan to hardsell Odisha. Which areas are we going to focus on?

DM: Like Rajasthan has its desert tourism and Goa has its beaches, we too have several advantages. One major area to focus on is eco-tourism. Odisha is the only state of the country which boasts of more than 700 crocodiles including the largest crocodile in the world. Bhitarkanika gives us a tremendous advantage over others. In Satkosia we have the convergence of two bio-geographic provinces – one stretching from Sikkim to Satkosia and the other from Satkosia to Kanyakumari. The flora and fauna in and around the Satkosia bio-reserve is unique.

KM: What kind of infrastructure facilities do we need to promote tourism and what are we doing about it?

DM: We are in the process of improving and upgrading tourist infrastructure in the state with special emphasis on connectivity. Over 300 tourist destinations will have assured and improved connectivity while power supply and sanitation facilities at tourist spots are also being improved. To add to that we will be setting up rest houses, opening spas and handicraft centres. We are also going to upgrade OTDC properties which would help promote wayside tourism and highway tourism.

KM: What is being done to promote ethnic tourism?

DM: Only recently we completed the ethnic village at Ramchandi along the Puri-Konark marine drive. It was done in the PPP mode. We have plans to set up nine more ethnic eco villages.

KM: Air connectivity has been a major hurdle to the promotion of tourism in Odisha. What is being done in this regard?

DM: Five years ago we had very few flights landing in Bhubaneswar. Things have improved and till recently we had 19 flights landing here. Now I hear that three have been withdrawn. We have  been raising the issue with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and now even the IATO has agreed to take up the issue.

KM: Odisha's rich Buddhist heritage gives the state a unique advantage as a tourist destination. Have we been able to leverage this advantage?

DM: We have some great Buddhist sites along river Mahanadi and its delta. We are both preserving and publicising these sites. Navin K. Behl had made a film on Odisha's Buddhist heritage. We are even otherwise trying to push Odisha's tourism in different ways. The BBC, Discovery and the National Geographic channels have been contracted to produce films on different aspects of our tourism potential and telecast them.

KM: What is being done to make Chilika, one of the state's biggest natural assets, more attractive to tourists?

DM: We are thinking of putting up houseboats in Chilika. There is also a plan to promote reservoir tourism by beautifying the surroundings of reservoirs and dams like Hirakud and Machchkund.

KM: What is Odisha's USP as a tourist destination?

DM: Our USP is the variety that we offer. We have the most enchanting wildlife sanctuaries, great bio-diversity, a huge coastline and 62 ethnic tribal groups. Odisha is unique in this respect.

KM: Another big issue is the safety and security of tourists visiting the state. Sometime ago there was talk about the deployment of special tourism police at tourist spots. What's happening?

DM: Law and order situation has been generally good with Odisha enjoying the image of a peaceful state. But the idea of tourism police has been discussed and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has a positive mind on the issue.