BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched the revamped website of Odisha Tourism, odishatourism.gov.in. The website has the potential to empower lakhs of people operating in the tourism and hospitality sector and showcase Odisha to the world.
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“It has been our constant endeavour to showcase Odisha to the world. Tourism is amongst the most sustainable routes to maximising employment opportunities for our youth and ensuing shared prosperity through community participation,” the Chief Minister said while launching the revamped digital platform of Odisha Tourism.
“Leveraging digital technologies is consistently helping us unlock the true potential of Odisha Tourism. Our digital platform will also empower lakhs of people operating in the tourism and hospitality sector, individually and collectively, by virtue of it being an all-inclusive participatory platform,” he said.
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“They can now leverage networks and reach out to tourists and potential business partners from far corners of the world, opening a huge window of opportunity,” he said.
The lucid interface includes an array of stylishly-arranged modules which help catapulting the visitor’s imagination to holiday in Odisha.
The platform with an immersive homepage with iconic imagery contains planning and booking tools, travel agent search, travel advisories and embedded booking engines of Ecotour.
The platform offers accounts of diverse traveller experiences in the form of blogs, vlogs and photo blogs besides insights into local cuisine.
The website involves a pilot implementation of an e-commerce platform for Odisha handlooms and handicrafts by promoting State brands Boyanika and Utkalika to enable users purchase authentic souvenirs.
Another highlight of the website is its foray into the relatively new yet trending concept of virtual reality (VR) tourism.
An interactive map adorned with indigenous art forms of Odisha like Pattachitra allows the user to view multiple tourist attractions in 360 degree views and virtual tours.