BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Sunday rolled out a slew of tourism initiatives, including luxury coaches, electric water transport, light and sound show and a series of institutional partnerships on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
The Tourism department signed three MoUs, one with the State Bank of India (SBI) to facilitate financial support for homestays, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to promote heritage tourism, and the Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association to expand adventure tourism in the state.
The state-level celebrations at Lok Seva Bhawan, joined by deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, also saw the flag-off of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) luxury coaches for improving tourist mobility and travel experiences. An electric boat at Barkul and a catamaran operated by Swosti at Chilika Lake were also virtually inaugurated.
Speaking on the occasion, Parida stressed the need to bring together technology, sustainability, heritage, innovation and community participation to strengthen Odisha’s tourism ecosystem. “Tourism should generate livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities for local communities, enabling them to become active stakeholders in Odisha’s growth story,” she said.
Chief secretary Anu Garg stressed the importance of coordinated efforts, institutional partnerships and innovation in developing the state’s tourism sector.
The state-level celebration this year aligned with the World Tourism Day 2026 theme, ‘Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism’, highlighting the growing role of technology and digital solutions in shaping accessible and future-ready tourism experiences.
To accelerate community-based tourism, provisional registration certificates were distributed to 176 beneficiaries under the Odisha Homestay Scheme. Licences to operate and registrations were also distributed to adventure tour operators as part of efforts to formalise tourism activities in the sector.
A capacity-building workshop for homestay owners was organised focusing on improving service quality and helping operators offer authentic and visitor-friendly experiences, while a sensitisation workshop on the Ethnic Tourism Initiative was also held to encourage greater participation in community-based and ethnic tourism.
ASI director general Yadubir Singh Rawat stressed the need to preserve and promote heritage assets as part of the tourism experience, while UNDP deputy resident representative Isabelle Tschan virtually addressed the gathering and shared an international development perspective on tourism initiatives.
An Odisha Tourism video showcasing the state’s tourism offerings and initiatives was screened at the event, along with the screening of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The day-long celebrations concluded with the deputy CM inaugurating the Light and Sound show at Khandagiri hills. The show uses technology and immersive storytelling to present the history and heritage of the site to visitors.
Tourism secretary Balwant Singh said the initiatives of the department reflect the state’s efforts to create diverse visitor experiences while strengthening local entrepreneurship, institutional partnerships and community participation for sustainable tourism growth.
