BHUBANESWAR: With the coronavirus pandemic dealing a crippling blow to the State’s travel and tourism industry, the Odisha government may soon announce a financial package for the sector’s revival, said Minister of Tourism Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi on Saturday.
Addressing the virtual roundtable on ‘Covid-19: Impact on the State Tourism Sector’, organised by FICCI, Panigrahi said that the budget allotted for the tourism sector this year has seen an unprecedented increase.
“The Chief Minister wants Odisha Tourism to reach global standards. He is expected to announce financial packages for the tourism sector soon,” the Minister said and added that the sector needs help to bounce back.
He also said that while in the government scheme of things tourism may rank a little lower than other priority sectors like health and education, it is an important sector that must be supported.
Tourism Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev said that the government is aware of the problems faced by the tourism and hospitality sector.
“We are working on a detailed support package to be offered to the industry which would include hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and self-employed people including photographers and guides,” he said.
FICCI Odisha State Council chair and Sambad Group MD Monica Nayyar Patnaik said that the FICCI Odisha State Council has partnered with the State government as its national industry partner for various programmes like Make in Odisha, Krushi Odisha and Odisha 50 and is organising virtual roundtable on various sectors.
“We (FICCI) are also a part of the State government’s task force in vaccination drives and procuring medical oxygen supply,” she said.
Co-Chair of FICCI Tourism National Committee and Swosti Group CMD JK Mohanty commended State government’s fight against the pandemic as well as the natural calamities including the Yaas cyclone recently.