BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Tourism’s flagship glamping event - Eco Retreat - will start at different locations across the state from November 1 this year .While the Eco Retreats at Putsil, Daringbadi, Hirakud and Satkosia will be opened for tourists on November 1, those at Bhitarkanika and Sonapur beach (Ganjam) would be inaugurated on December 1. The Eco Retreat at Konark will be opened on December 15. The facilities in the first phase (November 1) will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually.
Usually, Eco Retreats are started on December 1 but the department decided to pre-pone it by a month this year owing to the festive season, conducive weather and tourist inflow. The fifth edition of Eco Retreat Odisha at Konark, Putsil, Sonapur, Daringbadi, Bhitarkanika, Satkosia and Hirakud comes with luxury, adventure, local culture, mouth-watering Odia cuisine, aesthetic folk music and dance.
Official sources said this time the department had received inquiries from tour and travel operators from Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam after its recent roadshows in the countries. The department hopes to get more international tourists this year following the launch of direct flights between Bhubaneswar and Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok.
The focus this time is also on group bookings and corporate events at the retreats. While all the facilities at the seven destinations have shacks within the properties, an additional beach shack-cum-restaurant will be opened at Konark for day visitors.This apart, Odisha Travel Bazaar will be held at Eco Retreat Konark in February. The event will focus on B2B meetings between tourism fraternity, domestic and foreign tour operators.The flagship camping event will remain open for 90 days.