SAMBALPUR: Continuing innovation to bring new ideas of tourism and raise the hospitality standards has fetched Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, one of Odisha’s best managed wildlife habitats, record revenue and tourist footfall.
Tourists from at least nine European nations and the US visited the sanctuary in 2025-26 during which its ecotourism initiatives generated Rs 6.02 crore in revenue. At least 1.4 lakh tourists visited Debrigarh in the just-concluded financial year, logging a staggering 64 per cent rise in footfall, up from 85,000 tourists in 2024-25 during which it had netted a revenue of Rs 5.01 crore.
The steady rise was possible because of improved visitor facilities, new tourism activities and consistent promotion of the sanctuary. Tourist inflow was evenly split during 2025-26, with about 50 per cent visitors from within Odisha and the remaining from other parts of India and abroad, including countries such as Italy, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Finland, Ireland and Spain.
Debrigarh added Dhodrokusum Homestays, Odisha’s first nature-based forest homestay and a 2-km birding trail last fiscal which enhanced visitor engagement. The birding trail has been designed to help visitors identify species within the sanctuary through both sightings and calls across different habitats.
Besides a range of activities such as jungle safaris, Debrigarh also offers Hirakud reservoir cruises, island visits, trekking, kayaking, cycling, wildlife photography tours and guided stargazing which enhanced its recall value and brought in the tourists from far and wide.
The increased interest in the sanctuary was also due to reliable wildlife sightings of Indian bison, leopards, wild dogs, sambar, chital and a range of bird species. In fact, the bison population has jumped by over 27 per cent in the sanctuary in a year.
PCCF (Wildlife) PK Jha said efforts to further strengthen the ecotourism model will continue. “We are focusing on upgrading facilities and expanding night-stay options at Debrigarh to improve the overall visitor experience while supporting local livelihoods,” he said.
At the core of ecotourism initiative is the endeavour to balance conservation with community participation, said divisional forest officer (DFO) of Hirakud wildlife division Anshu Pragyan Das.
“Ecotourism at Debrigarh is helping create sustainable livelihood opportunities for forest-dependent communities while reducing pressure on natural resources. Women and youth, in particular, are finding meaningful employment closer to home, strengthening both economic stability and social empowerment,” she said.
Around 120 families from nearby villages are currently engaged in various ecotourism activities, including guiding, safari operations, boating services and homestay management. Of them, women constitute nearly 40% of the workforce, with several working as eco-guides and safari drivers, while homestays are managed by tribal women in Dhodrokusum village, who are the sole breadwinners of their families.
Participating families earn in the range of Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 a month along with insurance coverage. Revenue is distributed through a structured mechanism with 35% allocated to community salaries, 25% for recurring expenses, 10% each for infrastructure and village development. The remaining 20% goes to a corpus fund managed by Wildlife Headquarters for training and capacity building of local communities.
Tourism activities are regulated under a standard operating procedure aligned with NTCA guidelines. While visitor numbers are capped at 340 per day across 53 safari trips, movement within the sanctuary is restricted between 6 pm and 6 am to minimise disturbance to wildlife.
Currently there are 25 rooms for night stay including six rooms exclusively for stargazing with glass roofing and five homestays at Dhodrokusum Green Village. Expansion for 32 additional cottages, 10 new homestays, a canopy walk and upgraded safari and cruise facilities are underway.
Raising the bar 2025-26
Tourist footfall: 1.40 lakh
Revenue: Rs 6.02 crore
New attractions
Dhodrokusum Homestays
2-km birding trail
Visitor numbers capped at 340 per day across 53 safari trips