SAMBALPUR: After a lull in tourism due to the pandemic, Sambalpur and its nearby areas have witnessed a significant rise in visit of foreign tourists to its popular destinations in the last one year.
Sambalpur, known for its natural beauty and cultural heritage, is once again emerging as a much sought-after destination for foreign tourists. As per local tourism authorities, the number of foreign tourists has steadily gone up as popular spots such as Hirakud Dam, Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary and the historic Leaning Temple of Huma have regained their charm. Besides, Samaleswari, which has been given a facelift under the SAMALEI scheme has now acquired a prominent place on the tourism map of the region.
However, other attractions like Ushakothi, Chiplima and Gudguda have recorded a rise in domestic tourist footfalls. In 2020-21, while the footfall of domestic tourists to Sambalpur was 1,22,021, that of foreign tourists was as low as 60. However, in 2023-24, while domestic tourist footfall went up to 5,92,461, as many as 812 foreign tourists visited the district. District tourism officer, RK Dalai said, “We have witnessed a gradual but positive growth in the number of foreign tourists over the last year. The revival is promising and we expect even better results in the coming seasons.”
As per records, Ushakothi recorded 28,234 domestic tourist footfall in 2023-24 compared to 2,147 in 2020-21. Similarly Chiplima recorded a rise from 77,984 footfalls in in 2020-21 to 2,30,732 in 2023-24, Gudguda 34,633 in 2020-21 to 1,46,399 in 2023-24 and Kendhara 4,462 in 2020-21 to 16,260 in 2023-24.
The inclusion of Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary and Khinda in the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme is expected to significantly increase foreign tourist arrivals. Swadesh Darshan, a Central government initiative aimed at promoting integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits focuses on developing sustainable tourist infrastructure and accessibility to heritage sites. Under the new phase of the scheme, Debrigarh and Khinda will receive attention for eco-tourism development, with addition of modern amenities, trekking routes, and wildlife viewing facilities.
Debrigarh, already a popular eco-tourism spot due to its rich bio-diversity and picturesque surroundings, is expected to draw more international visitors owing to enhanced infrastructure. Similarly, Khinda, known for its historical significance as the birthplace of freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai, is set to become an important cultural attraction under the scheme.
However, despite the gradual recovery in foreign tourist inflow, local tourism experts and hotel owners are concerned over the lack of visible publicity and promotion of Sambalpur’s tourist marvels.
Positive trend
1,22,021 domestic tourists visited Sambalpur in 2020-21
The number went up to 5,92,461 in 2023-24
60 foreign tourists visited the district in 2020-21
The number went up to 812 in 2023-24