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Title Odisha - Towards a new Disha in Tourism

Author MRSS India

Date October 2017

Copyright No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by photo, photo-print, microfilm or any other means without written permission of FICCI and MRSS India

Disclaimer The information and opinions contained in this document have been compiled or arrived at from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty expressed is made to their accuracy, completeness or correctness. This document is for information purpose only. The information contained in this document is published for the assistance of the recipient but is not to be relied upon as authoritative or taken in substitution for the exercise of judgment by any recipient. This document is not intended to be a substitute for professional, technical or legal advice. All opinions expressed in this document are subject to change without notice.

Neither MRSS India and FICCI, nor other legal entities in the group to which they belong, accept any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss however arising from any use of this document or its contents or otherwise arising inconnection herewith. Many of the conclusions and inferences are specific inferences made by MRSS India in their expert capacity specifically in tourism sector and does not have any correlation with financing related outlook that as a research organization may have.

Contact Address FICCI HeadquartersRahul Chakravarty Consultant,TourismFederation House 1, Tansen Marg New Delhi - 110001Tel : +91-11-23311720-Direct/ 23738760-70 (Ext.342) Fax : +91-11-23765333 Email : [email protected]

Majestic Research Services and Solutions LimitedChandramouli Guin Head - Government Practice MRSS India Ltd.C-19, II & III Floor, D.D.A. Okhla Sheds, Behind Crowne Plaza,Okhla Phase I New Delhi - 110020Mob : +91-9810513326

For Further Information

[email protected] [email protected]@ficci.com

[email protected]

1) Introduction 5

a) Prelude 5

b) Odisha as a tourism destination 6

2) Contribution of Tourism to the State GDP of Odisha 7

3) A snapshot of tourist visits to the State 7

b) Domestic Tourist Visits 10

i) Major source market of domestic tourists to Odisha:- 10

4) Seasonal Flow of Tourists in Odisha 11

5) Tourist Destinations in Odisha 12

a) Established locations 12

b) District wise Tourist visits 13

c) Major themes marketed by Odisha Tourism 14

d) Top focus areas for attracting Tourists 15

i) Golden Triangle 15

ii) Buddhist Circuit or the Diamond Triangle 16

iii) Temples & Monuments 17

iv) Music & Dance Festivals 17

e) Unexplored Destinations 18

f) Documented Unconventional experiences 19

6) Hospitality infrastructure in Odisha 19

a) Accommodation Units 19

b) Point to point connectivity 21

7) Revamping Odisha into New Disha – Initiatives taken 21

a) Tourist Flow 21

b) Government thrust to promote tourism in the state – Odisha Tourism Policy 2016 22

i) Key features of Odisha Tourism policy to promote private investment 23

c) Revamping Odisha into New Disha – Initiatives undertaken 24

i) Specific Tourism related initiatives 24

ii) Campaign in mainstream and social media 25

iii) Some key steps taken to bring inflow of tourists 26

8) Primary Survey of Tourists visiting Odisha 27

9) FICCI MRSS Ten Point Suggestions to boost tourism in the State 33

Bibliography 34

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Odisha - Towards a new Disha in Tourism6

Odisha, the maritime state located in the eastern fringes of the country has been a root to the culture, heritage, ethnicity scenic beaches and industrial hubs of the country. The State has attracted tourist with its mysticism, virile culture and works of art and crafts since time immemorial. Off Late, Odisha has started being aggressive in attracting tourists to visit its abode by rapidly re-inventing and repackaging the type of product it has to offer the tourism world. What is incredible is the fact that a considerable part of Odisha is still unexplored and still being discovered.

The USP of the State in terms of its tourism resource, which sets it apart from other states, can be very well understood from the figure below. This depicts the tourism offering of Odisha to the world.

An analysis of Domestic as well as foreign tourists from around the world indicates that the state has an indelible footprint in the tourism map of the country as well as the world. Visitors from only a few domestic States/ UT’s refrain from visiting the

Executive Summary

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Odisha - Towards a new Disha in Tourism 7

State, which otherwise is well on its way to lead the industrial revolution in the east with it’s focus on specific areas of Manufacturing, ESDM, IoT, Automation, Heavy Engineering etc. This will boost business tourism and in association with it bring along the subsets like, Leisure, Cruise (thanks to the large coastline) and other top revenue churners in the tourism domain.

An analysis for foreign tourist visit shows that all continents with the exception of Western Europe has grown for the period under consideration. High growth rates can be observed for South Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and South East Asia. Thanks to the Budhdhist resources that throng the state, the state will remain a top draw for the visitors from the South East and South Asian countries.

Off late, a few new concepts of tourism has started making a headaway in the Odisha tourism horizon. The transformation story has been depicted in the diagram below

The State Government has an ambitious plan to grow tourists at the brisk pace of 15% for the next couple of years. It plans to overcome this ambitious target for the next few years with targeted intervention in the following areas as depicted in the figure below. The specific steps taken in transfrming Odisha to New Disha is as follows:-

• Monuments

• Art&Craft

• Festival

• TribalHeritage

• Beaches

• BudhdhistCircuit

• Dance&Music

• Nature

• EcoTourism

• AdventureTourism

• MedicalTourism

• MICETourism

• KnowledgeTourism

• Caravantourism

• WellnessTourism

• CruiseTourism

• SandArtTourism

Traditional Concepts of Tourism

Emerging Concepts of Tourism

Future Tourism Concepts


8 Pronged Strategy to

increase tourist flow

Better Connectivity

Upgraded Infrastructur

e

Better Civic Amenities

Quality Power Supply

Beefed up safety & Security

Easy Land Availability

Ease of Doing

Business

Targetted Marketing & Promotion

• RecastingandrevampingtheStateTourismPolicywithemphasison

o To promote Sustainable & Green Tourism

o To preserve, enrich and promote Odisha’s unique cultural heritage, natural recourses and environment with a view to achieve inclusive development

o To address the regulatory & tourism promotion/ development functions in Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode at all levels in an effective and well-coordinated manner.

o To promote Odisha as one stop destination

o To promote circuit tourism in association with other State of Eastern Zone

o To upgrade skill & professionalism amongst stakeholders

o To promote digital tourism

o To promote responsible tourism

o To promote barrier-free tourism

• AggressiveOutboundMarketing

• EnsuringTouristSafety&Security


• Training,ITIntegrationandDigitalLiteracy

• InformationDisseminationindigitalchannels

• Identificationofnewthemebaseddestinations

• Campaigninmainstreamandsocialmedia

• Somekeystepstakentobringinflowoftourists

o Investor Friendly Tourism Policy

o Dhauli Light and Sound Show

o Signing of MoU’s

– With Air Asia

– With Aditya Birla Group

o Sponsoring Sports Activities

o Initiation of Odisha Water Sports Guidelines 2017

o Revised Guidelines for identification of new tourism centres of Odisha

o Ensuring safety & security of tourists

o Faster implementation of Shamuka beach project

o Outdoor Branding of Odisha Tourism

o Development of Coastal Circuit

MRSS India has conducted survey of approx. 400 foreign tourists and 400 domestic tourists at major entry/ exit points as well as destinations. The key findings from the two groups are as depicted in the Table below:-

Parameters Domestic ForeignReasons for visit to the State

Cultural & Pilgrimage Cultural & Business

Information collection Word of Mouth/ Digital Modes India Tourism Offices/ State Tourism Offices/ Digital channels

Perception Great historical significance and better value for money against competition

Great historical significance and famous in the world

Top areas to focus for the State Tourism Department

Accommodation seems to be the only blip

Security concerns, Toilets, Weather


Taking a peek at the various steps undertaken by the State Government, collated data as well as the State legacy FICCI – MRSS suggests the following steps for the resurgence of Odisha as a new tourism hotspot within the Indian union:-

a) Showcase investors the value in investing in ODISHA – The investors have to be lured into Odisha by showcasing the rich cultural heritage and introducing new concepts conceived off/ implemented.

b) Start an online newsletter especially for the investor / Tourist community – This is going to be thedocument that is going to lure investor community as well as the visitors. It would have snapshots of policy highlights, implementation steps in addition to the new investments made in certain fields. This can be introduced in a quarterly frequency and based on the popularity, can be converted into a monthly affair.

c) Highlight model investments made in the State – Model investments made in the State can be highlighted in the digital, print and electronic media and blasted at regular intervals to the relevant social and physical formats.

d) Exploit the Digital Channel to disseminate investment success stories – The State has a wide array of Digital Channels, which can be leveraged to disseminate the success stories.

e) Reward and Recognition for largest investor/ best investor/ most innovative investor/ Green investor etc in ODISHA Tourism Mart – recognition of Investors in an appropriate forum would help generating interest amongst the investor community and broadbase the investor base considerably.

f) Identify new Destinations, implement single window clearance to investors in lightning speed – With the research wing in place, this is sure to speed up in coming times

g) Encourage Travel writers, Bloggers, Reviewers as a follow up action – This would be a “influence the influencer model of implementation”. Encouraging these influencers to write about the investment climate in Odisha as well as the new destinations will help in generating awareness featuring positive stories about the state.

h) Conduct a Satisfaction Survey for the Investors/ Tourists – It is suggested thatan Investor/ Tourist Confidence Survey may be conducted amongst Investors in Odisha Tourism vis a vis Investors in Tourism in adjoining States/ main crowd pullers. This will provide a few high points or learnings to work on.

i) Leverage the power of data – Data and analytics are the mainstay of future. This needs to be leveraged and a dedicated insight session needs to be undertaken in order to provide relevant inputs to the state strategy team.

j) Learn from around the world – Odisha State Tourism should take up specific case studies from around the world and emulate the methodology adopted in order to boost and sustain tourist flow. This is to be handled by the state research & strategy team.


1 Introduction

a) Prelude

The State of Odisha, has been a top draw for tourism in the eastern fringes of the country of India with Bay of Bengal located in the South. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Odisha was established on 1 April 1936 at Kanika Palace, Cuttack, as a province in India, and consists predominantly of Odia speakers.

Odisha is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the eleventh largest by population as per census 2011. Odisha lies between the latitudes 17.780N and 22.730N, and between longitudes 81.370° E and 87.530° E. The state has an area of 155,707 km2, which is 4.87% of total area of India, along with a sprawling coastline of 450 kms.

Odia is the official and most widely spoken language with 93.33% Odia speakers according to linguistic survey. According to a Forest Survey of India report released in 2012, Odisha has 48,903 km2 of forests which cover 31.41% of the state’s total area.

Three-quarters of the state is covered in mountain ranges. Deep and broad valleys have been made in them by rivers. These valleys have fertile soil and are densely populated. Odisha also has plateaus and rolling uplands, which have lower elevation than the plateaus. The narrow, level coastal strip, including the Mahanadi River delta supports the bulk of the population. The interior of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated.

There are 30 districts in the State which has been placed under three different revenue divisions. The divisions are North, South and Central, with their headquarters at Sambalpur, Berhampur and Cuttack respectively. Each division consists of 10 districts, and has as its administrative head a Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC).

As per Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), the economy of Odisha is showing a steady increase over the last few years as depicted in the chart below. The State GDP is growing at a CAGR of 14% for the period 2012-18.


• Odishaisanaturalresourcesandalargecoastline.Odishahasemergedasthemostpreferred destination for overseas investors with investment proposals. It contains, 33% Iron, 71% Bauxite, 32% Manganese, 97% Chromite, 95% Nickel and 28% coal of national reserves The state is attracting an unprecedented amount of investment in aluminium, coal-based power plants, petrochemicals, and information technology as well.

b) Odisha as a tourism destination

The State of Odisha has attracted tourists from time immemorial. A few unique and top draw resources which sets it apart from the rest of the States within the Indian Union are as indicated in the figure below:-

A depiction of the prominent tourist spots in the State has been depicted in the map elucidated below:-

2.142.55 2.77

3.09 3.32

4.12

2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

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The State has a wide array of resources which has been elaborated in the map above. Thus Odisha has a touch of every conceivable type of tourism concepts that operates in the world, starting from religious to leisure, business to luxury, heritage to nature, wildlife to cultural.


2 Contribution of Tourism to the State GDP of Odisha

As per Economic Survey 2016 -17, based on a tourist profile survey was conducted during 2013-14, it is found that the average duration and spending of a domestic tourist is 3.7 days and Rs. 2,763 per day respectively while that of a foreign tourist is 11 days and Rs.4,167 per day. Estimated inflow of money to the State through tourist spending during the year 2015-16 has been assessed at Rs.12645.71 crore, a rise of 8.74 percent over 2014-15. Table 5.24 gives detailed information on this sub-sector since 2004-05.

Source: Economic Survey of Odisha, 2016-17

Year Domestic tourists

Foreign tourists

Total Growth rate

2004-05 2151.1 74.8 2225.9 70.62005-06 2334.91 88.21 2423.12 8.92006-07 2673.77 97.29 2771.06 14.42007-08 3088.21 106.93 3195.14 15.32008-09 3254.65 135.46 3390.11 6.12009-10 3566.89 150.83 3717.72 9.662010-11 3901.61 170.39 4072 9.532011-12 4253.81 201.14 4454.95 9.42012-13 4665.29 209.81 4875.1 9.432013-14 10288.6 308.94 10597.54 117.382014-15 11297.91 331.01 11628.92 9.732015-16 12336.93 308.78 12645.71 8.74


3 A snapshot of tourist visits to the State

a) Foreign Tourist Arrival Trends:- Foreign Tourist Arrival trends indicate an upward trend in consonance with the general trend in the country. Though the no. of tourist visits are considerably lesser than that of the general inbound tourist arrivals in the country, but it is picking up very fast. The State Government has realised the vast potential tourism has to offer and the revenue foreign tourist arrivals create. Thus it has revamped its offerings and has set a very ambitious target for itself in coming times. The State has not only grown but has also been able to successfully attract and retain foreign tourist visits over the years as it has been depicted in the chart below.

An analysis of the inbound tourist flow from the point of origin of the foreign tourists for the years 2014 – 2016 indicates the following trends as depicted in the diagram below

39,1

41

41,8

80

43,9

66

45,6

84

50,4

32

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5.08 5.28 5.17 5.78

6.31 6.58 6.97

7.68 8.03

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Foreign Tourist Visit - Odisha (Nos) Foreign Tourist arrival - India (Mn Nos)

CAGR 7.2%

CAGR 6.9%


As indicated in the table above, all continents with the exception of Western Europe has grown for the period under consideration. High growth rates can be observed for South Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and South East Asia.

USA, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Japan, China contribute major visitors to the State of Odisha. This is a matter of great pride that the top most contributors of Indian Tourism are also the top most contributor of the Odisha Tourism and it has its’ expanse spread all across the Northern hemisphere.

Source : Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Orissa Tourism

Zone Foreign Tourist Visits growth rate for Odisha (2014 - 2016 period)

North America 1.1 Central & South America 6.8 Australia 21.4 Western Europe -6.0 Eastern Europe 35.6 West Asia 6.8 South Asia 81.6 South East Asia 34.9 East Asia 15.5 Africa 48.3

Parameter Country of Origin Growth rate ( 2 0 1 4 - 1 6 period) in %

High Growth Rates (Above 50%)

Hongkong 200.0Bangladesh 179.6Nepal 118.8CIS 92.9Spain 68.0South Africa 67.4Singapore 65.6Malaysia 54.1Hungary 45.9Switzerland 35.5Canada 33.5Czechoslovakia 26.9


Parameter Country of Origin Growth rate (2014-16 period) in %

Medium Growth Rates (Between 10 – 50%)

Maldives 25.6Japan 22.9Portugal 21.5New Zealand 20.9Australia 20.4Sweden 14.1

Low Growth Rates (Less than 10%)

Austria, Norway, Poland, Italy, Mexico, Israel, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Thailand, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Philippines, Turkey, Ireland, Indonesia, Bahrain, Nigeria, Tanzania, France, China, Finland, USA, Iran, UK, Germany, Kenya, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Pakistan

Top Countries of Tourist origin in decreasing order of tourist arrivals (for the year 2016)

USA, UK, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, China, Netherlands, Australia, CIS, South Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh, Korea, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Malaysia, Belgium, Finland

b) Domestic Tourist Visits

An analysis of domestic tourist visits for the year 2010 -16 indicates the fact that the State has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Keeping the national trend alive, the State has grown in leaps and bounds as far as domestic tourist visits to the State is concerned.

7,59

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1,045.05 1,142.53

1,282.80

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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Domestic Tourist Visit - Odisha (Nos) Domestic Tourist arrival - India (Mn Nos)

CAGR 14.1%

CAGR 9.2%


i) Major source market of domestic tourists to Odisha:- The major source market of domestic tourists to the State of Odisha can be depicted in the figure below:-

It can thus be elucidated from the figure above that the State of Odisha predominantly draws its tourists from the States as shown. The growth rates for the 2015-16 period can be elucidated in the diagram below.

b) Domestic Tourist Visits

An analysis of domestic tourist visits for the year 2010 -16 indicates the fact that the State has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Keeping the national trend alive, the State has grown in leaps and bounds as far as domestic tourist visits to the State is concerned.

i) Major source market of domestic tourists to Odisha:- The major source market of

domestic tourists to the State of Odisha can be depicted in the figure below:-

7,59

1,61

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8,27

1,25

7

9,05

3,08

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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Domestic Tourist Visit - Odisha (Nos) Domestic Tourist arrival - India (Mn Nos)

CAGR 14.1%

CAGR 9.2%

State of Origin Growth rate (2015-16 period) in %West Bengal 10.1 Andhra Pradesh 8.6 Telangana 7.8 Bihar 8.3 Jharkhand 8.4 Madhya Pradesh 8.5 Chhattisgarh 8.5 Maharashtra 8.6 Uttar Pradesh 8.5 Uttarakhand 7.9 Tamil Nadu 8.3


Country of Origin Growth rate (2015-16 period) in %Karnataka 8.1 Gujarat 8.0 Rajasthan -3.1 Assam 6.4 Punjab 6.8 Haryana 4.8 Kerala 5.4 New Delhi 6.6 Tripura 1.7 Goa -23.3 Puducherry -7.4 Jammu & Kashmir 9.0 Odisha 9.0 Other States / UT 23.6


4 Seasonal Flow of Tourists in Odisha

Odisha is a maritime state and the weather is hot and humid especially in summer months. This is also prone to frequent lashing of deep depressions owing to the proximity of Bay of Bengal. Hence, 3 months in an year it becomes difficult for the tourists to visit the State. As per feedback from the tour operators and travel experts, which was conducted by the researchers of MRSS, the following is the peak and lean period of foreign tourists:-

Lean SeasonApril to September

Peak SeasonOctober to March


5 Tourist Destinations in Odisha

a) Established locations

The State has identified 356 tourism destinations across all 30 districts of the State. A break up of districtwise no. of tourism destinations have been elucidated in the diagram below. It reveals the fact that Balasore, Cuttack, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Khordha, Mayurbhanj and Puri lead the State in terms of total destination it has to offer.

13

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7

19

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17

6

12

16

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13

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7 76

13

Districtwise Tourism Destinations


From the aforesaid diagram, the districts can be segmented into the following categories as discussed below:-

b) District wise Tourist visits

District wise top draws for tourism in the state of Odisha can be depicted in the table below.

High Medium LowCuttack Kalahandi BalangirBalasore Keonjhar BoudhGanjam Nayagarh DeogarhPuri Koraput GajapatiJajpur Sundergarh Jagatsinghpur Khardaha Angul Jhasuguda Mayurbhanj Bhadrak Kandhamal

Kendrapara Malkangiri Bargarh Nuapara

Nawarangpur RaygadaSambalpurSundergarh

District Top 3 Destinations

Angul Angul, Deulajhari, Hingula PithaBalasore Chandaneshwar, Chandipur, BalaramgadiBargarh Nrusimhanath, Bargarh, BarpaliBhadrak Aradi, Chandbali, DhamnagarBalangir Balangir, Harishankar, PatnagarhBoudh Charisambhu, Boudh, CharichchakCuttack Cuttack, Dhabaleshwar, BankiDeogarh Pradhanpat, KailashDhenkanal Kapilas, Joranda, SaptasajyaGajapati Paralakhemundi, Mahendragiri, HarabhangiGanjam Berhampur, Taratarini, GopalpurJagatsinghpur Jhankad, Paradeep, GadakujangaJajpur Jajpur, Chandikhol, ChhatiaJhasuguda Jharsuguda, Kuilighughar, GujapaharKalahandi Bhawanipatna, Ampani, PhurlijharanKandhamal Phulbani, Daringibari, Chakapada


Kendrapara Kendrapara, Aul, BhitarkanikaKeonjhar Sanaghagara, Sitabinji, MurgamahadevKhordha Nandankanan, Bhbaneshwar, DhauliKoraput Gupteshwar, Koraput, NandapurMalkangiri Satiguda, Malkangiri, MotuMayurbhanj Khiching, Deokund, BaripadaNawapara Nawapara, Patora, PatalgangaNawrangpur Papadahandi, Kelia, NawarangpurNayagarh Odagaon, Jamupatna, KantiloPuri Puri, Konark, ChilikaRayagada Chatikona, Hatipathar, DevagiriSambalpur Sambalpur, Hirakud, HumaSubarnapur Sonpur, Binika, CharadaSundargarh Rourkela, Vedvyas, Khandadhar

District Top 3 Destinations

c) Major themes marketed by Odisha Tourism

The major themes marketed by Odisha tourism hovers round the following aspects as depicted in the diagram below

Monuments

Art & Craft

Festival

Tribal Heritage

Beaches

Budhdhist Circuit

Dance & Music

Nature


The aforesaid tourism concepts in Odisha comprises of Traditional products as depicted above. Off late, a few new concepts of tourism has started making a headaway in the Odisha tourism horizon. This has been depicted in the diagram below:-

d) Top focus areas for attracting Tourists

i) Golden Triangle

The ‘Golden Triangle’ of Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark is the biggest tourist attraction. Puri, the shrine of Lord Jagannath, one of the oldest pilgrimage centres, famous for the Car festival, attracts lakhs of pilgrims round the year. The world famous Sun Temple, a UNESCO heritage sites at Konark (12th century), the temple city of Bhubaneswar (9th century) &Puri (11th century).

Traditional Concepts of Tourism

Emerging Concepts of Tourism

Future Tourism Concepts

Monuments Eco Tourism Knowledge TourismArt & Craft Adventure Tourism Caravan tourismFestival Medical Tourism Wellness TourismTribal Heritage MICE Tourism Cruise TourismBeaches Sand Art TourismBudhdhist CircuitDance & MusicNature


ii) Buddhist Circuit or the Diamond Triangle

As discernible from the discussion above, a considerable no. of foreign tourists originate from South East Asia and East Asian countries. The main attraction for those tourists is the rich saga of Buddism that dots this great land. The Government of Odisha understands the fact that it is the largest foreign tourist attractor

• BattleofKalingain261B.C.EmperorAshokrenouncedwar,embracedBuddhism.The spot ‘Dhauli’ is located 10 kn from Bhubaneswar.

• TheremainsatRatnagiri-Lalitgiri-UdayagiriareatreasurehouseofBuddhistHeritage

• LordBuddha’sRelicingoldencasketexcavatedatLalitgiri

• WorldclassBuddhistMuseumsatLalitgiriandRatnagiri

• AshokanEdicts(261BC)atDhauligiriareakeyattraction

• InternationalBuddhistFestivalcelebratedeveryyear


iii) Temples & Monuments

The temples of Odisha have a majestic grandeur and remind us of the Indo Aryan style of architecture. The most popular temple in Odisha is the Jagannath Temple in Puri; however one can visit some of the following equally popular temples there and awaken their religious self.

iv) Music & Dance Festivals

The state is home to Odissi, one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It also has many forms of folk and tribal dances such as Bharat Natyam and Chhau. Odissi is the oldest surviving dance form in India, according to archaeological evidence. It dates back to 2,000 years as stated by literature from 200 BC. The major festivals under this category are as follows:-

Konark FestivalThe official Konark Festival, organized by Odisha Tourism, features a range of Indian classical dance performances including Odissi, Bharatnatyam, and Kathak. It is an important tourist attraction for the state.

Mukteshwar Dance FestivalThe Mukteshwar Dance Festival concentrates exclusively on Odissi dance. It features solo, duet and group Odissi performances by young and senior artists. This draws danseuses from across the country.

Rajarani Music FestivalThe Rajarani Music Festival promotes the major classical music traditions of India. Performances by well-known Odissi and Hindustani vocal and music maestros bring the architectural beauty of the Rajarani temple alive. The fasival is known far and wide.


Dhauli-Kalinga MahotsavThe Dhauli-Kalinga Mahotsav is hosted by the Odisha Dance Academy (ODA) and Art Vision. It combines martial dance, which celebrates the victory of peace over war, with classical and folk dances of the different disciplines of the State.

Chhau FestivalTo represent the tribal life and traditional dances of Orissa, Chhau festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the whole of Orrisa. This festival is primarily attached to the Odissi dance form- Mayurbhanj Chhau. During this festival, people of Orissa worship Lord Shiva. The trained classical dancers perform the act of Chhau with masks covering their faces. This also takes part in neighbouring states but the one is Odisha is famous as well.

ChandragiriSurrounded by picturesque landscape, tropical forest, gurgling rivers, and exquisite mountain slopes, Chandragiri’s monuments are still miles away from the civilization. It is the ‘mini Tibet’ of Odisha. When one visits the monastery, they can find the traditional Tibetan Buddhist colourful prayer flags to welcome them. The Tibetan refugees that have settled there call this divine abode Phuntsokling, which translates to - Land of Happiness and Plenty.

Pir Jahania BeachPir Jahania beach is one of the unexplored beaches of Odisha and that’s what makes it more beautiful. Away from the hustle bustle of the city this beach is perfect for long walks on sandy beaches and watching the beautiful sunset. Another interesting thing about this place is that the famous shrine of Pir Jahania is situated here, hence the name. The temple does not follow any religion, any person can come to this temple and take blessings.

Barehipani WaterfallBarehipani Falls is a two-tiered waterfall located in the Simlipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha. It is one of the highest waterfalls in Odisha. If someone likes adventure and fancy the rush of water and the sound of water when it falls on stones then this is the place to be. The waterfall that originates from the river Budhabalanga falls from the heights of the Simlipal ranges to create these majestic 1200 foot (399 meters) falls. A visit to Simlipal is incomplete without it.

Biranchi Narayan Temple, GanjamOdisha is known for its temples. One such temple is the Biranchi Narayan Temple in Ganjam district. Known as the ‘Wooden Konark’, the temple was built in 1970 by King Srikar Bhanja. It is popular among the locals for its exquisite architecture, beautiful wood carvings and wall paintings.

e) Unexplored Destinations


Khasada WaterfallThe waterfall is named after a small village Khasada in Gajapati district of Odisha. This waterfall keeps flowing throughout the year and is a captivating sight for the visitors. This beauty is a must-visit for travelers who want to enjoy the calm and tranquility of nature.

Duduma Waterfall JeyporeSurrounded by the dense forests of Koraput, this 157.5 meters high waterfall is formed by the Machhakund River in Jeypore. The waterfall, which is a picturesque sight for all the travelers, is a perfect destination to have picnics or daylong trips. The best time to visit these waterfalls is during the monsoon season as then they are in their full majestic forms.

DebrigarhDebrigarh is the perfect destination for all the adventurers out there. If one wants to experience the wild in all its glory, then this is the place to be. Spread over a sprawling area near the Hirakund dam in Sambalpur, this wildlife sanctuary is dense with flora and fauna. The sanctuary is also known for the waterfalls in the hillsides that are present there. The forest also has some interesting history as the freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai sought refuge in this dense forest to fight guerrilla wars against the British.

Rishikulya BeachRushikulya Beach is one of the most beautiful and serene seashores that will make one feel like you are at the paradise already. A hub for all the nature and landscape lovers, this beach is sure to delight you beyond limit.

f) Documented Unconventional experiences


The International Sand Art Festival is a remarkable cultural event held by the Orissa Tourism Department. Held at the Chandrabhaga Beach, 3 km from Konark, the sand art festival is an event for people in love with sand creations. It is one of the events which highlights Orissa and its wonderful tourism opportunities.

The Sand festival celebrates sand sculptures produced by skillful sand artists. Not just the traditional sand sculptures, get ready for all kinds of exhibits. One can expect sand, stone, bronze or wood, created by skillful sand artists.


6 Hospitality infrastructure in Odisha

a) Accommodation Units

The trend in the standard of hotels in terms of servicing lower spending groups (LSG), middle spending groups (MSG) and high spending groups (HSG) from 2004 to 2015 can be seen from figure below. The no. of accommodation units and the CAGR for the same period has been depicted in the graph below. The fastest growing category is the HSG category.

76 84 10362 86 96 114

150

251306 334

383433

183 191 226 204 211 232 263 245 288356

399 455 474

646659

824

936 935 948 942 933 918 923956

921916

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

HSG MSG LSG


At present, the accommodation units in different category of hotels are as depicted in the points below.

• 1823Hotelswith37674roomsand75120Beds

• 18StarCategoryHotelswith1206rooms

• 433HighSpendingGroupswith13625rooms

• 474MiddleSpendingGroupswith9079rooms

• 916LowSpendingGroupswith14970rooms

A year wise comparison of No. of rooms vis a vis no of beds have been depicted in the figure below

b) Point to point connectivity

• 40 flights/ daybyAir India,GoAir, Indigo,Vistara connectBhubaneswar tomajorcities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Banaras etc.).

• InternationaloperationsbyAirIndiafromBhubaneswarhasstarted.

• BhubaneswarisconnectedbySuper-fastExpress,RajdhaniExpress,SatabdiExpress,to name a few.

• Excellentnetworkofhighways-National:(4,500kms)andState(5,100km)reachingtourist spots through scenic landscapes

• Dhamra,ParadipandGopalpurportscanreceivechartercruiselines


7 Revamping Odisha into New Disha – Initiatives taken

a) Tourist Flow

The tourist flow which has been growing at a CAGR of 9% for the period 2010 – 2016 is projected to grow at a brisk pace of 15% for the next couple of years. The State Government plans to overcome this ambitious target for the next few years with targeted intervention in the following areas as depicted in the figure below.

Strategy to increase tourist flow

Better Connectiv

ityUpgraded Infrastruc

ture

Better Civic

Amenities

Quality Power Supply

Beefed up safety & Security

Easy Land Availabilit

y

Ease of Doing

Business

Targetted Marketin

g & Promotio

n


b) Government thrust to promote tourism in the state – Odisha Tourism Policy 2016

The Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR) 2015 was announced in August, 2015. In the IPR, 2015, Tourism was declared as apriority industry. In IPR, 2015 the fiscal incentives proposed for priority sector industries are lucrative than the Tourism Policy, 2013. Therefore, The State Government have published Odisha Tourism Policy, 2016 with following objectives:

• TopromoteSustainable&GreenTourismwith a view to create employmentopportunities and to bring about socio-economic benefits to the community.

• To preserve, enrich and promote Odisha’s unique cultural heritage, naturalrecourses and environment with a view to achieve inclusive development; addressing the regulatory & tourism promotion/ development functions in Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode at all levels in an effective and well coordinated manner.

• TopromoteOdishaasonestopdestinationtoexperienceitsgreathistory,culturesociety and natural beauty so as to boost foreign & domestic tourist arrival in the State.

• TopromotecircuittourisminassociationwithotherStateofEasternZoneofthecountry to facilitate easy arrival and movement of the tourist.

• Toupgradeskill&professionalismandpromoteemploymentopportunities intourism sector.

• Topromotedigitaltourism

• Topromoteresponsibletourismanddevelopedtourismproductinanenvironmentfriendly manner.

• Topromotebarrier-freetourism

i) Key features of Odisha Tourism policy to promote private investment

Through Incentives, Exmeption, Subsidies

• ProductionofTourismPromotionLiterature

• 20% reimbursement of production cost ofOdishaTourism Literature /Film, ceiling Rs.50,000/- per annum

• IncentiveforTouristTransport Industry (registeredascontractcarriageonly on new air conditioned tourist coach with minimum 25 seats)

• Exemptiononregistrationcharges

• 50%concessiononpermitcharges

• VATreimbursement

• Reimbursementof30%ofthenetVATpaid,

• CeilingRs.10lakhperannumforaperiodof5years.


• IncentivefortheEntertainmentIndustry

• ReimbursementofEntertainmentTaxforaperiodof5years

• ParticipationinOverseasTourismEvents

• 50%reimbursementofstallrent&travelexpensesceiling,Rs.75,000/-forparticipating in overseas tourism events, maximum two events in a year

• CapitalInvestmentSubsidy

• 20–30%onthetotalprojectcost,ceilingRs.20–40lakh

• Interestsubsidy

• 3–5%interestsubsidyceiling,Rs.1Cr.foratotalperiodof5–7years

• ExemptiononStampDuty

• 50%exemptiononstampdutyonpurchaseoflandforthenewproject.

Identifying Special Tourism Zones

• Identifyandnotifymanyregionsofthestatewithhugetourism

• potentialandtohavemorefocusedintervention

• Developqualityroads,power&watersuppliesandsanitation

• Provisionforseparateincentives

Through Non Financial Incentives

• Providefacilitationinobtainingpermissionsandclearances

• ProvisionforSingleWindow,EscortOfficeretctofast-tracktheclearances

• Assist in promotion of private tourism projects at national & internationallevels

• Facilitatingonlinereservationofhotels/vehicles/tourpackages

• Familiarizationtour,trainingfortouroperators,guides,taxi&autodrivers

Continuous Development of Land Bank

• 3000acresoflandbankawaitingenvironmentalclearences

• Allotmentoflandatconcessionalrates

• Landbankdevelopedatkeytouristlocations

• Efforttoidentifymorelandtobeacontinuousprocess

• Facilitateinvestorstogetlandfortourismprojects


Avail preferential incentives by exploring new possibilities

• Cruise&HouseBoats

• Wellness&Eco-TourismProjects

• Aquariums,Amusement&WaterParks

• Beach&WaterSports

Ropeways, Adventure & Caravan Tourism

• GolfCourses

• Tourism&HospitalityTrainingInstitutes

• Buddhist&HeritageTourismProjects

• MICE,Knowledge&MedicalTourismProjects

c) Revamping Odisha into New Disha – Initiatives undertaken

i) Specific Tourism related initiatives

The specific marketing initiatives undertaken by Odisha tourism are as follows

• OutboundMarketing

o Odisha Tourism has been participating in a number of tourist road-shows, events, fairs and festivals within and outside the country for promotion of tourism

o Creating awareness about the tourist potential of the state through advertisements in leading print and electronic media, websites, social media, and other such mediums

• TouristSafety&Security

o Tourist Police Patrolling facility has been introduced in Puri-Chandrabhaga and Puri-Satapada zones.

o A Tourist Police Cell at Puri has been established and tourist police cells at Konark, Dhauli. Lingaraj Temple, Nandankanan, Satapada, Chandipur, Gopalpur, etc., are proposed to come up.

• Training,ITIntegrationandDigitalLiteracy

o Currently the State Government is providing 2% of budget for the IT and IT enabled services as per the guidelines of the Government of Odisha.

o Going forward when e-governance is going to change into m-governance, it will allow the state to leverage the power of the mobile handset to provide new kinds of services to the tourists.

o Systems have been upgraded to providing guide training


• InformationDissemination

o Good Online presence. Leading websites include

o www.odishatourism.gov.in

o www.panthanivas.com

o www.visitodisha.org

o A dedicated facebook page

o A dedicated twitter handle

o A dedicated logo, which sets it apart from other states while representing the art and culture

• Identificationofnewthemebaseddestinations

• Newdestinationsidentifiedin2016

As per Department of Tourism, Government of India, the following destinations have been identified in 2016, which have immense opportunity to draw tourists into the State of Odisha

o Shaheed Nagar (Lunia), Devi Patana Mangala & Devi Barahi, Gohiratikiri in Bhadrak district

o Alukadar & Sitakunda in Mayurbhanj District

ii) Campaign in mainstream and social media

The state tourism department is all set to launch a massive outreach campaign on social media to attract tourists, mostly foreigners. A dedicated team is being formed to look after promotional activities of Odisha Tourism via Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Youtube and Instagram.

Districts Name of the destination

Description of destinations and its importance

Emerging /New Destination

Deogarh Kurudkut Water Fall And Jungle Adventure EmergingGajapati Gandahati Water Fall Near To Chandragiri

Buddhist SiteEmerging

Nayagarh Baisipalli Famous for Gharial Chrocodile which is near To Satkosiagorge. Eco – Tourism in Mahanadi basin

Emerging

Badmul/ Satkosia Kuturi Wild Life Sanctuary EmergingKoraput/ Onkadelli Market/ Chattikona

Market And Village

Ethinc Tour ( Tribal folk) and Bonda/ Kondah/ Dongaria Tribe

New Destination

Cuttack Sadeibarini Art And Craft Emerging


Recently, the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management was assigned by the ministry of tourism to conduct a survey on the use of social media to woo foreigners into India. According to the survey report, foreigners are increasingly taking to social media platforms to know more about Indian destinations. The report said 89.30% foreigners, who were questioned during the survey, had tried to explore more information related to India through social media for tourism purposes. Nearly 31.88% foreigners had explored the accommodation option through social media.

iii) Some key steps taken to bring inflow of tourists

A few key focussed initiatives taken by the State of Odisha has been depicted in the table below:-

Name of the Initiative Details of the InitiativeInvestor Friendly Tourism Policy Single Window clearance

committee has cleared 36 tourism projects

Dhauli Light and Sound Show Light and sound show recreates Dhauli’s eventful past

Signing of MoU’sWith Air Asia To connect Kualalumpur with

Bhubaneshwar. This is already in operation

With Aditya Birla Group Operation and management of Interpretation Centre at Khandagiri & Udaygiri

Sponsoring Sports Activities Extending Financial support to Indian Hockey League, 2nd Asian Athletic Championship and World Cup Hockey. Official sponsorship extension to Kalinga Lancers Team.

Initiation of Odisha Water Sports Guidelines 2017 Main idea is to protect tourist as well as operator interest and most importantly to ensure safety of tourists

Revised Guidelines for identification of new tourism centres of Odisha

The main idea is to identify new spots in accordance with the culture and ethos of the State and attract tourists to the State from other important tourism centres in the country.


Ensuring safety & security of tourists •266 Life Guards have been deployed at Puri

35 Life Guards at Gopalpur

Creation of Emergency Fund for financial assistance to tourists in disastrous situation

Relaxing norms to visit PVTG areasFaster implementation of Shamuka beach project IG International Airport, New Delhi

CST International Airport, Mumbai

BP International Airport, Bhubaneshwar

Mumbai Metro Train

Outdoor Branding of Odisha Tourism

Development of Coastal Circuit Development of Coastal circuit comprising of Gopalpur, Barkul, Satpada, Tamparain under Swadesh Darshan Scheme. This will enable faster domestic tourist flow


8 Primary Survey of Tourists visiting Odisha

a) Voice of the Foreign Tourists - how do they perceiveOdisha as a destination

MRSS India has conducted survey of approx. 400 foreign tourists at major entry/ exit points as well as destinations. The synopsis of the findings is being presented in the ensuing pages:-

i) Profile of the Foreign Tourists

Source: MRSS Primary Survey


It is discernible from the profiling information above that majority of the respondents were males aged between 26 – 40 years having Europe as their region of Origin and were either travelling alone or with colleagues.

ii) Reasons for visiting Odisha

Odisha is considered a historically resourceful State while it also provides value for money against competition.

iii) Source of Information

As far as source of information for India is concerned, the following modes viz. India Tourism Offices, State Tourism Websites and Blogs/ Tweets/ Social Media postings are most sought after sources.

Approx. 93% of the respondents are satisfied with the information made available.




iv) Satisfaction with regard to various factors

With regard to majority of parameters, the respondents were either very satisfied or quite satisfied with the facilities made available to them as depicted in the chart below.

v) Willingness to return to Odisha

On the overall level 57% of the respondents have indicated that they would like to visit Odisha again.

vi) Activities undertaken during Odisha

Cultural visits still rule the roost. However, attending Business Meetings is also something which is very important for the visitors interviewed.



b) Voice of the Domestic Tourists - how do they perceive Odisha as a destination

MRSS India has conducted survey of approx. 400 domestic tourists at major entry/ exit points as well as destinations. The synopsis of the findings is being presented in the ensuing pages:-


i) Profile of the Foreign Tourists


It can be observed from the profiling information above that majority of the respondents were males aged between 26 – 40 years having West Bengal and Gujarat as their region of Origin and were travelling with family.

ii) Reasons for visiting Odisha

Odisha is considered a historically resourceful State tourist friendly state.

iii) Source of Information

As far as source of information for India is concerned, the following modes viz. Word of Mouth, Publication and Blogs/ Tweets/ Social Media postings are most sought after sources.



Approx. 78% of the respondents are satisfied with the information made available.


iv) Satisfaction with regard to various factors

With regard to majority of parameters, the respondents were either very satisfied or quite satisfied with the facilities made available to them as depicted in the chart below.

v) Willingness to return to Odisha

On the overall level 68% of the respondents have indicated that they would like to visit India.

vi) Activities undertaken while in Odisha

Cultural visits still rule the roost. However, attending Social/ religious function is also something which is very important for the visitors interviewed.


Fig 27: Activities undertaken while visiting Odisha



9FICCI MRSS Ten Point Suggestions to boost tourism in the State

Taking a peek at the various steps undertaken by the State Government, collated data as well as the State legacy FICCI – MRSS suggests the following steps for the resurgence of Odisha as a new to the State :-

a) Showcase investors the value in investing in ODISHA – The investors have to be lured into Odisha by showcasing the rich cultural heritage and introducing new concepts conceived off/ implemented. While ROI will be an important factor in this, the investors would also like to choose Odisha based on the lucrative incentives and long term association it is going to enjoy with the State.

b) Start an online newsletter especially for the investor / Tourist community – This is going to be the document that is going to lure investor community. It would have snapshots of policy highlights, implementation steps in addition to the new investments made in certain fields. Database for such investors can be sourced from the various events that ODISHA Tourism, ODISHA department of Industries, ODISHA Investment Cell or can be sourced from participation of tourism fairs in different states. This can be introduced in a quarterly frequency and based on the popularity, can be converted into a monthly affair.

c) Highlight model investments made in the State – Model investments made in the State can be highlighted in the digital, print and electronic media and blasted at regular intervals to the relevant social and physical formats.

d) Exploit the Digital Channel to disseminate investment success stories – The State has a wide array of Digital Channels, which can be leveraged to disseminate the success stories.

e) Reward and Recognition for largest investor/ best investor/ most innovative investor/ Green investor etc in ODISHA Tourism Mart – recognition of Investors in an appropriate forum would help generating interest amongst the investor community and broadbase the investor base considerably.


f) Identify new Destinations, implement single window clearance to investors in lightning speed – With the research wing in place, this is sure to speed up in coming times. This has to be done on a priority basis to keep the investors well informed about the emerging opportunities.

g) Encourage Travel writers, Bloggers, Reviewers as a follow up action – This would be a “influence the influencer model of implementation”. Encouraging these influencers to write about the investment climate in Odisha will help in generating awareness featuring positive stories about ODISHA as a favourite investment Destination in Tourism Properties

h) Conduct a Satisfaction Survey for the Investors/ Tourists – It is suggested that an Investor Confidence Survey may be conducted amongst Investors in Odisha Tourism vis a vis Investors in Tourism in adjoining States/ main crowd pullers. This will provide a few high points or learnings to work on. Ideally this should be done by appointing a third party agency having high level of expertise and experience in tracking the tourism market.

i) Leverage the power of data – Data and analytics are the mainstay of future. This needs to be leveraged and a dedicated insight session needs to be undertaken in order to provide relevant inputs to the state strategy team to streamline/ tweak campaigns and attract more tourists to the State.

j) Learn from around the world – Odisha State Tourism should take up specific case studies from around the world and emulate the methodology adopted in order to boost and sustain tourist flow.


Rahul Chakravarty Consultant, Tourism

Federation House 1, Tansen Marg, New Delhi 110001

Tel : +91-11-23311720-Direct/ 23738760-70 (Ext.342) Fax : +91-11-23765333 Email : [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Website : www.ficci.com

Raj Sharma Chairman, MRSS INDIA

Sarang Panchal CEO, MRSS INDIA

No. 601 & 701, Trellis, Plot No. 202/203, LBS Marg Near Asha Petrol Pump, Kurla West, Mumbai – 400070

Tel./Fax No. : +91-22-26502751 / 52 Email : [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Website : www.mrssindia.com

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