BHUBANESWAR: Imagine hitting the road on a luxury van - a home-on-wheels - and driving it all the way on your own will. As night falls, park it by a beach, a forest, on top of a hill or any scenic, dreamy place you have driven to and go to bed in it.
Luxury travel in Odisha has just shifted gears with entry of caravan tourism. Travel no longer revolves around taking flight, train, cars or even bus to your destination and living in hotel rooms. The freedom, adventure and thrill is in with caravans put on offer to the travellers by the state government.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state, deputy chief minister and Tourism minister Pravati Parida, flagged off three luxury caravans at Dhauli on Wednesday. The caravan project will cover popular tourist destinations across the state like Talsari, Hirakud-Debrigarh, Similipal, Pentha-Bhitarkanika, Mangalajodi-Balugaon-Chilika, Jiranga-Mahendragiri, Baliput-Satkosia, Daringbadi and Deomali-Putsil-Kolab, spanning coastal, wildlife, hill and eco-tourism circuits.
Parida said, with the initiative, Odisha aims to attract more domestic and international visitors and position itself as a forward-looking, tourist-friendly destination offering innovative and immersive travel experiences.
“Caravan tourism will add a new dimension to Odisha’s travel landscape. This initiative is designed to attract travellers seeking adventure and eco-friendly experiences, while simultaneously supporting local tourism economies. It will promote offbeat destinations, reduce travel fatigue, and encourage longer stays across the state. The initiative will also generate new opportunities in hospitality, transport, and allied services,” she said.
The caravans are fully air-conditioned and equipped with beds, washrooms, Wi-Fi, live GPS trackers, and cooking facilities. Under this initiative, tourists can stay overnight at beaches, jungles or any picturesque location without depending on hotels.
The deputy CM said luxury caravan tourism is inspired from Europe and has immense potential in the state. The project is a public-private partnership in collaboration with Sand Pebbles Tours ‘n’ Travels. It was conceptualised and implemented in a very short time. “This is a historic moment for tourism in the state. It allows tourists a flexible travel experience, which will attract a large number of visitors,” she added.
Managing director of Sand Pebbles Tour ‘n’ Travels Aloka Kumar Maharana said, “In collaboration with the department of Tourism, we have launched luxury caravans to offer a new way of experiencing Odisha.” Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh said this project would boost tourism in the state as the booking price starts at Rs 11,111 per day, which he described as reasonable for luxury tourism.
The first tourist couple, Annada Prasad Padhy and Archana Padhy, to book the caravan was felicitated and presented the token ticket on the occasion.