3rd Odisha Tourism Conclave -...

HOTEL & RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF ODISHA Regd. Off : 105, Janpath, Bhubaneswar – 751001, Orissa, India Ph – 2535777, Mob - 8895883469 Email : [email protected] / [email protected]

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3rd Odisha Tourism Conclave 24th August 2018, Hotel Swosti Premium, Bhubaneswar

Organised By: Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO)

In Association with: Department of Tourism., Govt. of Odisha Industry Partners: FICCI, World Trade Centre – Bhubaneswar, IATO

Media Partners: Sambad, Kanak News, OdishaLIVE Event Partner: RR Events


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A Report

Executive Summary Tourism has become an important sector that has a significant impact on development of a country’s economy. Income generation and employment creation are the major benefits of tourism. For many regions and countries around the world, it acts as a significant source of revenue generation and people’s welfare. However, the scope of the national economy to benefit from tourism largely depends on the availability of investment to develop the necessary infrastructure and its ability to meet the dynamic needs of tourists from time to time. Odisha has rightly been described as ‘India’s Best Kept Secret’! Pulsating with the sprit of Indian Culture and a bountiful of nature, Odisha is a fascinating State of Old World charms and new world glamour. It is a kaleidoscope of all that India offers – majestic monuments, wide and clean beaches, evergreen forest, teeming wildlife, communicative crafts, scintillating dance & music, traditional tribes, mouth watering delicacies and lot more. Located in the central part of India, Odisha is like a bridge between the northern and southern halves of the country. In fact, Odisha is one of the most beautiful Indian States that is explored by thousands of visitors from across the world every year. Being a land of temples, historical sites, monumental attractions, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, long-stretched coastlines, rich flora and fauna, innovative art and craft forms, above all a home to ancient yet amazing traditions & culture and pure tribal life Odisha has the immense potential to be showcased as a unique destination for the global tourists. Important places like Puri, one of the Chaturdhams with the Sri Jagannath Temple, the Sun Temple in Konark, a World Heritage Monument, Dhauli Hills with Emperor Asoka’s inscription and the Viswa Santi Stupa, Khandagiri-Udayagiri Jain Caves, Ratnagiri-Lalitgiri-Udayagiri, one of the largest Buddhist complexes, Chilka, the largest brackish lake of Asia and a preferred destination of millions of resident and migratory birds are only a few names of Odisha which occupy prominent positions in the space of Incredible India. Above all, the friendly people of the state are ever ready to play smiling host to the visitors. In the recent times, Odisha has made rapid development in infrastructure, citizen welfare, human and technology interface, all round connectivity, public amenities, enhanced utilities etc. Odisha has emerged as a next-gen sporting hub by successfully organising a host of national and international events the likes of Asian Athletics Championships (AAC 2017). The upcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 will lend a major boost to Brand Odisha and grab international eyeballs. The scenic beauty of Odisha coupled with modern infrastructure would be displayed in front of the international sportspersons and visitors in full glory. Odisha Tourism in association with the Hospitality industry and Travel Trade will play a leading role in making the visitors’ stay in the state comfortable and memorable. Keeping in view the emerging trends, enhanced cooperation among key stakeholders in the tourism industry, the best practices across the sector and to revamp the Odisha Tourism, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) organized its 3rd annual Odisha Tourism Conclave on 24th August, 2018.


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The conclave was organized in collaboration with Odisha Tourism to discuss and deliberate on possible issues including problems and remedies to promote and propagate Odisha Tourism. The theme of this year’s conclave was ‘TOURISM: THE DRIVING FORCE OF THE FUTURE ECONOMY’. Key stakeholders like the Government representatives, policy makers, bureaucrats, travel and tour industry leaders, hotel and hospitality giants, travel writers, bloggers, press and media persons and general public attended the conclave and enthusiastically participated in the deliberations. The daylong conclave saw a mix of brainstorming and innovative ideas thrown in for promotion, propagation and promulgation of the positive agenda for developing Odisha Tourism as a backbone of the state economy in the coming years. A brief summary of the discussions is reported below for record and reference.


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Inaugural Session

The Inaugural Session began with the audience standing up for the National anthem on arrival of His Excellency Governor of Odisha, Prof. Ganeshi Lal. The conclave was formally inaugurated by lighting of the ceremonial lamp by him and other dignitaries including Shri Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Hon’ble MP, Rajya Sabha; Shri Dipak Rathor, Advisor, HRAO; Shri J.K. Mohanty, Chairman, HRAO; Shri Vishal Dev, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism and Sports & Youth Services Dept., Govt of Odisha; Shri Asit Kumar Tripathy, IAS, Additional

Chief Secretary, Home Department, Govt. of Odisha and Shri Srinibash Subudhi, Secretary General, HRAO. Before starting the proceedings, a minute’s silence was observed for the flood victims in Kerala and the sad demise of the former Prime Minister of India Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Shri Dipak Rathor, Advisor, HRAO: He welcomed all the esteemed guests to the conclave and sincerely expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the dignitaries for sparing their valuable time to attend. He also added that the last conclave conducted by HRAO had been a tremendous success and the State Government had taken seriously all the recommendations forwarded by the association. He hoped that this time also, the delegates would deliberate on the vast tourism potential of Odisha and the prospective investments in the tourist destinations that would contribute to the economic prosperity of the state. Shri J.K. Mohanty, Chairman, HRAO & IATO-Eastern Region, & CMD, SWOSTI Group

In his Keynote address, he urged upon the participants to discuss the key issues on the tourism scenario and solicited expert opinions to take forward Odisha Tourism to new heights. He expressed his gratitude to the Govt of Odisha for accepting the recommendations of the association and incorporating the same in new policies. He also said that the recommendations made in the previous Odisha Tourism Conclaves, such as, creation of land banks for tourism projects

in all tourist location, rationalisation of all the non-tax forms relating to tourist arrivals, more advertisements in national and international television networks, more facts on ecotourism, more


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international flights and air connectivity to Rourkela and Jharsuguda, have been taken seriously by the Govt and a lot of progress has been made in this field. Other important points mentioned by him were: § Odisha Tourism should focus on

(i) Research to appropriately promote the tourist destinations, (ii) Prepare a Tourism Master Plan for the next 20 years, (iii) Produce a MICE Tourism Booklet and (iv) Promote Medical Tourism in Odisha.

§ Air connectivity to Bangkok should be revived. § There is an urgent need to resolve some of the key issues such as cleanliness of beaches,

especially in Puri, Gopalpur and Chandipur, cleanliness of temples and other heritage sites, providing adequate hygienic toilets near petrol pumps and restaurants, etc.

§ It’s high time for Odisha to get its new prominence in the tourism map of India. We have so many options like ecotourism, MICE, ethnic tourism, wildlife, religious and spiritual destinations, handicraft, textile, art, craft, culture and traditions which should be explored.

§ We have to decide whether we want mass tourism or class tourism? Mass tourism becomes a burden eventually in tourist destinations. We have seen the problems being faced in places like Amsterdam, Barcelona, even in Kulu, Manali, Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra, etc due to mass tourism.

§ The millennial youngsters are looking for joy and adventure like nature, culture, entertainment, surfing, biking, hiking, etc compared to the older generation traditional travellers visiting the tribal areas, temples, and architectural sites.

§ Tourism spending on technology and social media, interactive websites, etc is way too less. Development should be the main thrust for tourism.

§ Govt. of Odisha should spend at least 20% of the publicity budget on promoting newer destinations through social media.

§ Odisha tourism can be promoted globally through social media platforms by developing world class content strategy and help users to share, review or know about the various tourist destinations here.

§ Odisha Tourism must make a vibrant Brand Odisha Campaign video, the way countries like New Zealand, Thailand and Dubai have done.

§ It’s time for preparing a long term tourism master plan for 20 rears for a sustainable growth through research, study on the impacts of tourism on environment, finance and ecosystem.

§ Adventure tourism is another attraction globally. Odisha needs to further look into adventure tourism more now.


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Shri Vishal Dev, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Dept. of Tourism; Sports & Youth Services, Govt of Odisha

He articulated that Odisha Tourism offers the finest bouquet of experiences to a tourist who visits the state - from heritage, culture and temples to wildlife and ethnic tourism. Yet the potential of tourism sector in Odisha is still to be fully realised. Major points from his perspective were :

§ The 2 main challenges in the path of promoting tourism are: a. lack of visibility and awareness in the state and b. Lack of tourism related infrastructure.

§ There has been lot of development in road connectivity to tourist destinations. § When it comes to tourism related infrastructures like water parks, adventure tourism and

hotels, a lot of work still needs to be done to improve the same. § To address the issue of visibility, the Govt has done publicity and branding across different

media. § We have presence in most of the major airports, cities, travel magazines, CNN, Trip Advisor

which includes publicity through all three media platforms i.e. print, electronic and digital. So, the visibility of the State’s Tourism is being adequately dealt with.

§ We have started to handle the second issue at hand by identifying land at all the important tourist destinations and creating a Land Bank. We propose to invite the private sector for investments in setting up hotels and other tourism related projects.

§ On the policy front in tourism sector, the year 2016 marked a watershed and a number of reforms have been chalked out to further fuel the development of tourism.

§ Odisha now looks like a very progressive and forward-looking state. We are pioneers at many initiatives.

§ Ecotourism is flourishing and sports tourism is also emerging in a big way after the last year’s Asian Athletics Championships. It was the leanest season for tourism but most of the hotels were booked for 2 to 3 weeks at that time. So, there is a strong synergy between sports and tourism.

§ Innovative products like the handicraft museum, museum walks, heritage walks have been promoted by the government.

§ Odisha should be the preferred destination for international as well as domestic travellers.


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Shri Asit Kumar Tripathy, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Govt. of Odisha:

Congratulating the HRAO for its consistent focus on development and direct impact of tourism in the State’s economy for almost 3 decades now, he highlighted the following issues § The tourism industry and the Govt owe the HARO

for focusing on tourism and also to promote Odisha within as well as outside the country.

§ Odisha’s tourism industry is on the cusp of a revamp.

§ Odisha has huge potential but it is yet to be translated into the kind of activity it deserves. § Odisha should focus on domestic tourism without differentiating with international

tourism. § Huge amount of money is spent by Indians in destinations like Dubai, Thailand, South East

Asia, etc. § Indians are travelling abroad at the cost of domestic destinations because some of the

states in India including Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are not as hospitable or friendly as Kerala, Goa or Rajasthan which results in Indians spending their money on foreign travels rather than on these states.

§ The challenge is to upgrade our own tourism products. We should focus more on domestic tourists than foreign travellers because the middle-class economy is growing and a huge part of the population of our country is middle class.

§ Another major challenge is not having good quality hotels in Odisha. The number of rooms in the star hotel categories in Odisha as well as the hotels under construction has the least growth rate in the country.

§ Govt. should act fast on allotment of land to investors and create roadside amenities for travellers.

§ Private Sector should play a more proactive role for the promotion of tourism. § Ownership of Odisha Beaches must be decided.

Shri Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Hon’ble MP, Rajya Sabha: He focussed on the issue of sustainability and stated that no matter what you did in terms of infrastructure or advertising to make Odisha an attractive place to visit, it would always be a challenge to sustain the visitor’s interest and to create an impression on them so that they would come back again and again. He also said that: § We need to focus on basic things like the traffic congestion and control it properly in one of

the major Smart Cities of the World i.e. Bhubaneswar to attract more tourists in future. § Democratic pressure has been used to push everything on the Govt. Let’s not pass on all

responsibility to the Govt.


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§ As people of the State and the Nation, we can do certain things to improve tourism in Odisha like keeping the city and the destinations clean like other countries and keeping a healthy discipline at tourist spots and such other places.

§ People of Odisha are the best marketing agents for tourism in Odisha. § Perception sells better than any marketing. Odisha is a state where there is no racism,

religions do not matter and people are hospitable. We might be poor but we are serene and tranquil.

§ Odisha is sensitive to weather conditions. We cannot have tourism throughout the year. The best time of the year should be capitalised upon to maximise profit and felicitate intake of more tourists.

Prof. Ganeshi Lal, His Excellency Governor of Odisha

His Excellency Governor of Odisha, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, began his address by extolling the wondrous locales and pristine beauty of Odisha as a state being blessed with more than one feature to explore. He informed that he was happy to see the seriousness of the organisation and detailed plan of the conclave having been conducted in a big way. The highlights of his address were:

§ The foundation of a healthy state is based on speed, skill and scale. With the help of these three factors and of course with the technological impetus, a state can grow to greater heights.

§ He mentioned about the ancient trade routes of Odisha and the traditional trades of our country with the outer world as being the beginning of travel and trade activity.

§ A Tourist is not concerned only with himself, but also with self-discovery or self-sculpturing and exploring oneself. It is a journey from egocentrism to geocentricism.

§ Tour is a bridge between the known realms of society, nature and the unknown. It is rather abandoning the scale and style of the earlier stages and be free like spirits just like the migratory birds to an unprecedented scale. It is both seeing the physical and metaphysical. It is seeing the beauty and landscapes of other countries and other states.

§ A strong coordination between the Govt of Odisha and HRAO is imperative for better growth of tourism in Odisha.

§ No other dance form in the world is better than Odisi.

§ Odisha is a land of myriad tourist attractions and opportunities and the stakeholders should join hands to promote, propagate and take Odisha tourism to newer pinnacles.


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Shri Srinibash Subudhi, Secretary General, HRAO:

Shri Srinibash Subudhi, Secretary General, HRAO proposed the vote of thanks to all the dignitaries on the dais for giving their valuable time for the Conclave and benevolently coming up with ideas, recommendations and suggestions for promoting Odisha Tourism. After the Vote of Thanks, the guests were presented with Mementos

and the National Anthem was once again customarily played to mark the departure of the Hon’ble Governor.

Panel Discussion:1

Theme: Branding & Positioning Odisha as a Premier Tourist Destination

Moderator – Ms Reema Lokesh, Editor of Express Travel World and Food Hospitality World, the Indian Express Newspapers Group, Mumbai Panellists -- Dr. N.B. Jawale, IAS, Director Tourism, Odisha; Prof. Surya Mishra, Marketing Expert, KIIT School of Management, Bhubaneswar; Shri Srimoy Kar, Former Resident Editor, The New Indian Express; Shri Sandeep Mishra, Group Editor, Odishabytes.com Sampark & My City Links; and Dr. Vital Venkatesh Kamat, Chairman and MD, Kamat Hotels (India) Limited on the dais. Ms Reema Lokesh, Editor of Express Travel World, and Food Hospitality World and the Indian Express Newspapers Group, Mumbai: Initiating the discussion, she said that she had come to the conclave as a friend of Odisha and revealed her feelings as below: § Odisha is not only undiscovered yet but truly unknown. § People in other parts of the country are unaware of the fact that people of Odisha are

called ‘Odias’ and not ‘Odissi’.


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§ Many people mistake the traditional dance of ‘Odissi’ as Bharatanatyam and few recognise it as a dance form where a crown called ‘Tahia’ is worn.

§ We need to move from Puri and Konark to more exotic places of Odisha. § The time has come for real time Public – Private Partnerships.

Dr. N.B. Jawale, IAS – Director Tourism, Odisha:

He informed in his presentation that people don’t know much about Odisha and not only as Govt official but also as stakeholders; it’s our responsibility to create awareness among the people about our state. He further mentioned that: § Odisha has lot of potential but there is some gap that

needs to be filled. § We need to take 360-degree view of the ongoing things

and have to work on multiple ends like improving infrastructure, working out a tourism product, work on quality tourist experience

§ Odisha is one of the biggest states in terms of area and population. It is well connected with rail, road and air.

§ Odisha has a long coastline and 33% of area is under forest. § Tourism had a sustained growth in the last couple of years and the major credit goes to the

organisation of international events like the Asian Games as well as the first international air connectivity to Odisha.

§ Some good brands of Hotels are there in Odisha but we are still missing out on international chains and the Govt is already resolving this issue by auctioning plots throughout Bhubaneswar.

§ The 480 km long coastline is not only unique in area but also dotted with distinct biodiversity hotspots like Chandipur, Bhitarakanika and Chilika.

§ Heritage is our USP. No introduction needed for Konark Temple and most of the other medieval and ancient temples are very much intact. Owing to the rich Buddhist legacy with Odisha, we can become an entry point for the East Asian tourists who come for Buddhist tourism.

§ Ethnic tourism is distinguishable with 62 different types of tribal culture. § Art is embedded in Odisha. The name itself ‘Utkal’ suggests ‘Uttam in Kala’. Some art forms

like ‘Patachitra’, ‘Tala Patra chitra’, ‘Filigri’ work etc are unique to the state. Kala Bhoomi, the Handicraft Museum for the promotion of these arts has been opened in the State.

§ The Konark Dance Festival which has celebrated 30 years of its launch is one of the renowned and unique classical dance festivals in the country.

§ 3500 acres of land bank has been created for tourism related projects. The tourism department has a single window clearance system and provides incentives like up to 30% capital investment subsidy alone.

§ The final environment clearance for ‘Shamuka Beach Project’ has been given and 1000 acres of special tourism area will be shortly coming up for investment.


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Prof. Surya Mishra, Marketing Expert, KIIT School of Management, Bhubaneswar:

He started with a presentation on Branding and Positioning of Odisha where he elaborated on the following points: § Branding is not just creating a bunch of products and making

it available for consumers. It is more about creating an identity.

§ We have given a lot of efforts which are essentially disjointed. We have been doing sporadic efforts but not in a

strategically integrated manner. We need to have a very consorted and integrated approach.

§ Different understanding can have different positioning. Positioning is nothing but what a product does and who is it for. It’s not only the differentiation between class and mass but we need to make it more crystal clear.

§ The embodiment of Odisha Tourism i.e. the logo has 2 distinct elements within it which are not necessarily in sync. The first part is the ‘Scenic, Serene, Sublime’ part with the icons of the sun and waves which is similar to a lot of other tourist destination logos. And the other part is the ‘Odisha Tourism’ in a rainbow colour and ‘the Soul of Incredible India’ which is kind of similar to Madhya Pradesh’s Tourism slogan ‘the Heart of Incredible India’.

§ India is a nation of nations. Odisha is one its states with its unique identity and culture.

§ People, culture, governance, exports, immigrations and investments are the biometrics which also need to be integrated and developed in order for tourism to develop.

§ Country Brand Strength Index (CBSI) also works on 6 parameters, the biggest one being Associations which works on the perception of the people.

§ 357 tourist destinations in Odisha have identified which include 91 scenic spots, 22 historical places, 16 waterfalls, 14 beaches and 6 wildlife reserves.

§ Odisha accounts for 0.3% of total inflow of foreign tourists which is abysmal.

§ In benchmarking on the social media and in terms of best video online, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are all ahead of us. Coming to Facebook and Twitter, we are much below than the top states in almost all matrices.

§ In terms of site optimisation, Odisha Tourism website is not even linked to the FB page.

§ We need to engage with branding experts, hire professional agency of repute on a retainer basis, create comprehensive plan for branding and positioning Odisha, ensure that all components are given proper attention, create a strategic plan to develop, communicate and facilitate tourism on each of these parameters like People, Culture, Governance, Immigration, Investment, Tourism and Exports.


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Shri Srimoy Kar, Former Resident Editor, The New Indian Express: He focussed on the hygiene issue persisting while travelling in Odisha and said that: § Odisha has enormous potential and opportunity but we still

have to answer people outside to clarify that we are from the State of Jagannath, Puri.

§ Marketing of Odisha as a brand has been utterly pathetic. What is going to happen for Odisha in the upcoming days should have happened yesterday.

§ We talk of long coast lines, wildlife, beautiful dense forest, etc but tourists don’t get the full pleasure of enjoying these beautiful places.

§ Govt has to provide stability and continuity in the department. Officers posted in the Dept. of Tourism should be there for a specific tenure and not changed on a yearly basis.

Shri Sandeep Mishra, Group Editor, Odishabytes.com, Sampark & MyCity Links:

He regretted that Odisha has not been marketed properly and we have failed miserably in doing so. The idea now-a- days is to ‘Think Globally and Act Locally’. He also said that: § There seems to be a major disconnect, for example, the logo shows

sun, sea and sand but there are other destinations like Goa which have the same theme and are way better than us.

§ We need to rebrand Odisha Tourism starting with the logo, because the experience offered is of prime importance to a visitor.

§ It’s not about branding Odisha Tourism but Branding Odisha. § We should concentrate on our communication strategies very clearly.

Dr. Vithal Venkatesh Kamat, Chairman and MD, Kamat Hotels (India) Limited : Expressing his contemplation on taking up loss making hotels and converting them into profitable entities, he pointed out that: § ‘Niyam’, ‘Niyojan’ and ‘Niyantran’ can make a huge difference. § Odisha should have 5 years short term goal and 20 years long term goal

on tourism development. § There are 6 ‘P’s for success in any industry - Product, People, Packaging, Publicity, etc.

Odisha needs Publicity above all. § Once you grow the local tourism, then you are automatically creating a destination. § Tourism is delivering an experience and Odisha has ample amount of scope to develop. § We need to have responsible tourism and prevent overcrowding and degradation of

environment at the tourist hotspots. § Odisha people are creating history outside the state but are not willing to work in their

own state. We need to change this mentality as Odisha does not lack in any resources, just that it needs to be used properly.

The Session ended with a question and answer round followed by presentation of Mementos to the dignitaries.


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Panel Discussion:2

Theme: Developing the Tourism Ecosystem Of Odisha – Policy, Safety & Value Added Services

Moderator – Shri Nilambar Rath, Editor-in-Chief & CEO - OdishaLIVE Panellists -- Shri Suresh Ch. Mahapatra, IAS, ACS, F&E Dept., Govt. of Odisha; Shri Pradipta Mohapatra, Asst. Vice President, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts; Dr. Sitikanta Mishra, Former Director, IITTM; and Shri Satyajit Mohanty, IPS – Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack. Shri Nilambar Rath, Editor-in-Chief & CEO – OdishaLIVE: Opening the discussion, he remarked that gone are the days when people used to focus on selling the religious temples, historical places and heritage sites in the State. Now the buzz is about experiential tourism, sustainable tourism, ecotourism and adventure tourism etc. In the last couple of years, we have taken wonderful steps. Many national and international level events have taken place in the Smart City Bhubaneswar and other parts of Odisha, organised by the Govt and Private sector. Sports have also become one of the important aspects and avenues for tourism as well with the successful hosting of Asian Athletics Championships in 2017 and now Branding and promoting Odisha worldwide while preparing for Odisha Hockey Mens’ World Cup 2018. Mr Rath thus invited the panellist to highlight on the subject and come up with new ideas and recommendations which would help Odisha Tourism take a big leap in the coming decade. The moderator said that, while a good tourism policy shall help the core industry and its ancillary sectors flourish, utmost focus on the comfort and safety of the guests at all levels shall hold the quality of our brand high. Similarly, innovation and value additions in the domain shall give cutting edge to the sector in the global competitive era.


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Shri Suresh Ch. Mahapatra, IAS – Additional Chief Secretary – Forests & Environment Dept., Govt. of Odisha

He mentioned that few years back the Govt had entrusted the Forest Department with the task of promoting nature tourism or eco-tourism and said that there is self-interest in promoting ecotourism by the Forest department because it makes conservation of nature possible. He gave an elaborate picture of the action taken by F & E Department to promote Ecotourism followed by a colourful Video Presentation. § There are 37 secluded destinations, away from the

crowd, completely in the lap of nature § The modern generation needs such places for de-stressing. § The Ecotourism destinations are managed by the local communities. § The Forest department has developed an online booking portal where tour operators are

registered. Most of the communities are able to manage the tourists. § We are getting large number tourists not only from the state but also from outside and we

are still in the process of developing many destinations. § Odisha is one of the greenest states in the country with 35% forest cover.

Shri Pradipta Mohapatra, Asst. Vice President, Mayfair Hotels and Resorts

His presentation focussed on the advantages of Odisha as a destination, different government initiatives and what needs to be done. He also mentioned that: § Connectivity plays an important role. We have 47 flights operating

from Bhubaneswar now-a-days against 22 flights earlier on a daily basis.

§ Odisha has become an educational and IT hub. The capital city Bhubaneswar is not only a tourist destination with its temples, but also for the convention centres in different institutions and beautiful hotels.

§ Within a radius of 1 km we can get 800 plus hotel rooms in Bhubaneswar. Dr. Sitikantha Mishra, Former Director, IITTM He said that it is the people and the culture of the land that has protected all sorts of God’s creations for centuries. He also said that: § People really need to involve themselves in promoting tourism. § While we focus on tourism’ we need to take care of nature as well. § We need to prepare guides who can create awareness among

people about the benefits ad advantages of the flora and fauna.


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Shri Satyajit Mohanty, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack:

He was of the view that the first basic need of tourists is food and shelter and then comes security. He also pointed out that: § The sense of security implies that there should be

some physical presence while it is something psychological.

§ 92 policemen for 10,000 people is an average in Odisha.

§ Basically, the concept of policing is to make the people co-producer of public sector.

§ We need to show that the people and the police are the co-producers of the videos showing Odisha’s prospect

§ Mangalajodi is a live example of people working as co-producers where the Govt, people and the stakeholders work together and each individual has a tremendous sense of ownership.

§ We can have security stewards from the hospitality industry who can be trained for special events taking place in the State.

§ There is scope to send a message that we can host the whole world and our hospitality is world class.

The dignitaries were presented with Mementos at the end of the session.


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Panel Discussion: 3

Theme: Ease of Doing Hospitality Business – Infrastructure, Connectivity & Facilities

Moderator – Shri Shashank Shekhar, Managing Editor, Cross Section Media, New Delhi Panellists -- Shri Suresh Nair, GM, Air Asia; Shri Debasis Patnaik, Director, The Crown, Bhubaneswar; Shri Sanjay Kumar, Former Commercial Director, Indigo; and Shri Debasis Kumar, MD, Victoria Club Hotel, Puri. Shri Shashank Shekhar, Managing Editor, Cross Section Media, New Delhi: Initiating the discussion, he opened some topics elaboration like: § When it comes to infrastructure, supply creates demand. § With infrastructure in place, people would commit and consume,

establish a chain of supply and demand’ eventually resulting in growth.

§ Infrastructure, when put in place, should be comprehensive for thorough seamless experience.

§ Given the quantity of resources, focus is solely on allies. § Hoteliers are now going for iconic structures. § There is absence of a well-defined tourism circuit in Odisha.

Shri Sanjay Kumar, Former Commercial Director, Indigo: He felt that with the right kind of product, price and promotions, we can create demand in the market. He also mentioned that: § Increased amount of supply creates reasonable fares. § There are people in the market who can afford once the capacity created. § Before attracting international market, we need to attract the domestic market.


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Shri Debasis Patnaik, Director, The Crown, Bhubaneswar: He pointed out that: § Konark is a major tourist destination, with 10,000 people visiting

very day. So it does have a demand but it does not have a definite supply.

§ There is virtually no infrastructure at Konark except only 1 non-star hotel.

§ Initial doubt about capacity utilisation of the Bhubaneswar-Kuala Lumpur Air Asia flight has evaporated with the increased demand. It’s already planning a second flight on the route. This is an example of how supply creates demand.

Shri Suresh Nair, GM, Air Asia: Being more realistic, he on infrastructure and connectivity he pointed out that: § In the last 1 year, number of flights to Bhubaneswar linking major

cities has increased substantially which definitely contributes to domestic tourism.

§ In the international arena, fortunately for Air Asia and unfortunately for Odisha, there is only one player and it is Air Asia’s self-interest which wants as many people going out and as many getting into the state to keep a balance of both.

§ We need to get the product right because there are rising expectations with newer initiatives.

§ The major challenge is fulfilling expectations § Creating is always easy; we need to maintain it. § Awareness about Odisha has always been a challenge and it needs more promotion.

Shri Debasis Kumar, MD – Victoria Club Hotel, Puri

He expressed his concern that for setting up a hotel in the state, an entrepreneur needs 37 licences from 22 departments. He also said that: § The single window clearance mechanism should be applicable to all

hoteliers, new and old alike. § It’s time to analyse what exactly the hoteliers are getting out of the

new tourism policy even as it is termed a watershed. § Hoteliers are not getting the power subsidy as mentioned in the policies. § Odisha does not have a night life. § Other states have extended bar licences on weekends but Odisha has not due to security

concern. § Infrastructure should go hand in hand with publicity. § During rainy season, water logging is a major challenge at Konark.

The session ended with presentation of Mementoes to the dignitaries.


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Panel Discussion: 4

Theme: Connecting Eastern India with Odisha as a 21 Night Destination

Moderator –Shri Benjamin Simon, Tour Operator, Representative, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI)

Panellists -- Ms. Aashima Mehrotra, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India; Shri Gagan Sarangi, Chairman, IATO (Odisha Chapter); Shri Debjit Dutta, Chairman, IATO (West Bengal Chapter); Shri Abhijan Talukdar, Vice President, Crown Hotel; and Shri U.K. Pati, OTS, Jt. Director Tourism, Govt. of Odisha.

Shri Benjamin Simon, Tour Operator – Representative, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI): Opening the session, he said that: § Since long Odisha has been a tourist destination. Every tourism brochure of tour operators

in India has been printing Odisha’s heritage sites. § Eventually, the tribal tourism, rural tourism and adventure tourism came in § We also included the neighbouring states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Andhra

Pradesh to promote the region including Odisha. § Promoting Odisha as a 21 night destination is not difficult because of the fabulous blend of

natural and cultural products that we have. § Society needs to be sensitised on the benefits of tourism and the industry needs to take

this responsibility. § We need to promote truly authentic experiences to the client so that they can become the

brand ambassadors. § Tourism can also be promoted through passion and spread through word of mouth

publicity. § Some cities in Odisha should be included in the Tier 3 UDAAN scheme to provide intra city

connectivity. § Unique places like the Cattle Island in the Hirakud Reservoir, the only of its kind in the

world should be promoted.


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Shri Abhijan Talukdar, Vice President, Crown Hotel:

He welcomed the proposition make Odisha a 21 night destination but appeared sceptic about its success due to inadequate infrastructure available now. He felt that it is too optimistic for the present, more so in the absence of necessary support systems like transportation, basic amenities etc. He advised that both the industry and the government should reciprocate to the needs of the proposal.

Shri Debjit Dutta, Chairman, IATO (West Bengal Chapter): With a presentation, he said that the idea of 21 days destination is going a little too further and pointed out the challenges being faced by the Eastern region. Key points of his discussion were: § Retaining a customer or client in a specific destination requires

a lot of strategic planning and creation of new products on how you engage the customer.

§ The tourist potentials of the East India along with the North Eastern region is comparable with that of the South East Asia. What is necessary is to make it visible, which is definitely a challenging task.

§ Out of 10.4 million foreign tourists visiting India, the share of the 12 Eastern States is only 11.7%. As the number of tourists coming to this part is very less, we have to compete with the top line destinations within India which in itself is a major challenge.

§ Taking advantage of strategic location, we should develop and market the unexplored areas like niche tourism, the Ganges, the Himalayas, history and heritage.

§ Branding, in essence, is actually understanding the market and thinking out of the box. § The way forward is the ‘U’ factor i.e. unified regional destination branding, unified

marketing strategy and unified campaign and Unified policy framework and exchange product knowledge amongst ourselves.

§ International connectivity needs augmentation to get direct inbound tourist in to this region.

§ We also need more skilled human resources in the industry. Shri Utkal.K. Pati, OTS – Jt. Director Tourism, Govt. of Odisha He stated that destinations can hold tourists for longer duration if promoted with human touch and feelings and suggested to adopt strategies like the following: § There are enough products besides the traditional heritage

forest and beaches such as textiles, handicrafts, mountains, forests, mangroves, lakes, rivers, waterfalls etc to make Odisha a 21 day holiday destination.

§ We need to focus on the unique features of the destinations. § Cruise tourism is another area to be revived.


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§ The tourists may be given a chance to participate in cooking, farming, going to jungle, meeting with the local people and story telling.

§ Some high-end home stays can remedy the infrastructure need and other problems. All potential villages must have reasonably good accommodation.

§ As Odisha is right now relatively undiscovered, we should target high-end tourists and motivate them to spend more time.

Shri Gagan Sarangi, Chairman, IATO (Odisha Chapter): He felt that Odisha had the potential of attracting more tourists and hold them for more days and suggested the following points: § Good experience gained by the visiting tourists will bring in more tourists which is possible

when we realise our real potential. § We should engage the local community in the rural area to handle tourist visits there. § There is a need to offer high value but low priced packages to woo more tourists § Odias, being hospitable people, can help making the stay of the tourists comfortable and

memorable. Ms. Aashima Mehrotra, Director, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India:

She gave an idea about how the Union Ministry of Tourism is functioning to promote tourism in India and informed that Incredible India campaign 2.0 is focussing more on new destinations than the earlier one. She also informed that: § The Dept. of Tourism has recently launched the

renewed website along with an app. Odisha Tourism can provide to the department more materials on areas inadequately covered or missed out for incorporation.

§ India and Odisha both are battling the same problem, i.e. most of the inbound tourists just go for 2 or 3 destinations in one visit. We need to come up with new ideas so that they cover more destinations and stay for more days (like Kerala evolved idea of Ayurvedic Therapies).

§ Odisha should get in touch with the Government of India for promoting inter-state tourism in the East and North Easter by clubbing destinations with common linkages like tribal tourism, Buddhist tourism, while it can promote its own unique cuisine.

§ Odisha should cooperate with the Government of India in UDAAN scheme. § Each state should make special investment with viability gap funding to get connectivity to

South East Asia (Assam Govt is going to invest Rs 100 crores, while the Ministry of Tourism is considering to invest Rs 200 crores to develop all the Buddhist tourist circuits).

§ Each state should focus on “one district, one product” concept instead of developing many in one go.

§ The Ministry would like a Santi Niketan type of university with art and craft activities in each state.

§


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The following points emerged during Open House discussion: · Odisha Tourism can make its own high quality promotional video films on any destination if missed out in the films made on the Travel Circuits by Government of India and send to the Ministry of Tourism for incorporating the same. · Similarly, the hoteliers and tour operators can also make their own promotional films as they know their products better than others. · The State Government should discuss with the Ministry of Railways for covering Odisha by the Mahaparinirvana Express.

Valedictory Ceremony

The final Session of the evening was the Valedictory Ceremony which started with playing of the State Anthem ‘Bande Utkala Janani’. The dignitaries on the dais included Shri Ashok Chandra Panda, Hon’ble Minister, Dept. of Tourism and Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Govt. of Odisha; Dr. N.B. Jawale, IAS, Director Tourism, Odisha; Shri R. Balakrishnan, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary cum Development Commissioner, Govt. of Odisha; Shri J K Mohanty, Chairman, HRAO; and Shri Debasis Kumar, MD, Victoria Club Hotel, Puri. J.K. Mohanty, Chairman, HRAO& CMD, Swosti Group:

He gave the welcome address and said that during the Conclave many sessions delved into a variety of subjects covering ecotourism, niche tourism, advertisements, publicity, marketing, branding, infrastructure, investment, product development, connectivity etc. He gave the highlights of the recommendations given by various dignitaries during the whole conclave which are as follows:

§ Govt. of Odisha should spend at least 20% of the publicity budget on promoting newer destinations through social media.


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§ Odisha Tourism should focus on Research to appropriately promote tourist destinations. § Odisha Tourism should prepare

ü a tourism master plan for the next 20 years, ü produce a MICE Tourism Booklet and ü promote Medical Tourism in Odisha.

§ Odisha Tourism must make a vibrant Brand Odisha Campaign Video the way countries like New Zealand, Thailand and Dubai have done. The Branding should be integrated and positioning should be unique to Odisha.

§ Air connectivity to Bangkok should be revived. § Odisha should focus on domestic tourism without differentiating with international

tourism. § Govt. should act fast on allotment of land to investors and create roadside amenities for

travellers. § Private Sector should play a more proactive role. § Ownership of Odisha Beaches must be decided. § ‘Shamuka Beach Project’ should be taken up fast as Puri is getting overcrowded. § Sustainability to hold the tourist interest should be focused. § Lord Jagannath could be an identity to promote Odisha. § Traffic Management and Visitor Management at tourist destinations must be taken care of. § Promoting Odisha should be through a professional agency on retainer basis. § Officers posted in the Dept. of Tourism should be for a specific tenure. § The logo of Odisha Tourism should be replaced by one which will match the USP of Odisha. § Focus should be on local development and making people tourist friendly. § Organise events like Rock Band Music and Vintage Car Rally. § Ensure cleanliness, sanitation and safety of visitors at tourist destinations. § There should be more classified hotels. § Fire & Liquor laws should be made more practical and implementable. § Local taxes should be rationalised. § Single window clearance for operation of tourism projects should be put in place. § We should produce more trained personnel for the hospitality sector. § We should create a body of Tourist Stewards with proper training to the Tourism & Hotel

Management Students and other youth as volunteers. § Possibility of night life activities can be explored in consultation with concerned

Departments. § Community Based Ecotourism activities can be promoted at more destinations § Destinations in Odisha should be promoted in the tourism market which will create both

the demand and supply. § Tourism stakeholders in Odisha must come up to the expectations of suppliers like Airlines. § Attractive products must be created in Odisha to draw visitors from places connected by

Airlines. § Special Promotion Campaigns at destinations connected by Airlines to create awareness

about tourist attractions in Odisha should be undertaken. § Odisha Tourism should identify potential markets to motivate Airlines for connectivity. § At places like Konark, tourist infrastructure such as star hotels should be created.


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§ Rules relating to CRZ regulations should be relaxed for creating hotels on the beaches of Odisha.

§ Development of infrastructure must go hand in hand with publicity campaigns. § Tour operators should develop unique and innovative products other than the traditional

ones. § Incredible India campaign 2.0 should promote separate regional marketing road shows

within the Indian road show. § All Eastern Indian States should come out with a common branding and united tourism

policy frame work. All States can combine with the South Asian countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

§ Augment International air connectivity. § The Eastern States should get in touch with Govt of India for clubbing destinations to

promote interstate tourism. § Odisha can establish a Shanti Niketan model University to promote art and craft.

Dr. N.B. Jawale, IAS, Director, Tourism, Govt. of Odisha

He said that very good inputs have been given in this conclave. Most of them are already being worked upon like participation in national and international events for promoting tourism. Some great audio visuals will be released soon. He further said that it’s not ideal to go to the Govt for every solution. The people need to take few responsibilities into our own hands.

Shri R Balakrishnan, IAS, Development Commissioner-cum-ACS, Govt. of Odisha He felt that the issues raised and discussed in the conclave quite familiar with the Govt. He pointed out that: § There have been frequent changes of the people who

deal with Tourism, basically for the convergence, mostly seen from cultural and tourism aspect.

§ Convergence among all stakeholders and concerned departments is necessary to en-cash the investment made.

§ Like the tag line ‘God’s own country’ in Kerala, the tagline of Odisha Tourism should have some recall value.

§ The State Government is spending Rs 130 crores by sponsoring the Indian hockey teams for five years. The jerky of the players carry the tag line “Odisha : India’s Best Kept Secret” which virtually covers all sub-brands.

§ Sports Department and tourism should help each other out and their collaboration might generate revenue both ways.


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Shri Ashok Chandra Panda, Hon’ble Minister, Dept. of Tourism and Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Govt. of Odisha

Referring to the Odisha Tourism Policy of 2016, he said that it takes care of many aspects of tourism and informed that: § The state Govt is trying to establish closer

coordination with the Hotel Industry and Travel Trade.

§ The State Government is consciously focussing on Branding Odisha as it is essential to harvest and exploit the tourism potential.

§ At least Rs 300 crores has been spent in the up gradation of tourism infrastructure in 357 identified tourist destinations around the state during the last 3 years,.

§ There has to be more convergence between the tourism department and forest department to increase the ecotourism.

§ Religious and Buddhist tourism is being promoted with the help of Air Asia. § International Air Connectivity from Odisha to Dubai and Bangkok is being seriously looked

into. § The ‘Shamuka Beach Project’ should take off at the earliest as it can be a support to the

Hotel Industry. Shri Debasis Kumar, MD – Victoria Club Hotel, Puri He wrapped up the valedictory session of the 3rd Odisha Tourism Conclave 2018 by proposing a vote of thanks to the dignitaries on the dais, all panellists and all those who contributed to the success of the event. Mementoes were then presented the dignitaries on the dais.

J K Mohanty, MHCIMA Chairman – IATO, Eastern Region & Chairman – Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha Member State Tourism Promotion Council & Tourism Advisory Council, Govt. of Odisha

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