Express News Service
27 Sep 2009
Bhubaneswar : 27 Sep 2009
The landscape of Orissa is abound with natural beauty both flora and fauna, towering temples, rich cultural heritage but the State is yet to exploit its strength in terms of generating tourist inflow or revenue. Despite high decibel promo-campaigns, “Incredible Orissa” is still waiting to happen.
As per the latest data released by Union Ministry of Tourism, the State does not figure in the country’s top-10 states. In 2008, of a total of 568 million tourists visiting India, only 6.246 million tourists have chosen destination Orissa. Orissa had a measly share of around 1 percent in the aggregate tourist arrivals to India in 2008. It had a share of 0.92 per cent of the aggregate tourist arrivals in 2003 and has even failed to double the figure in five years.
The road ahead looks bumpy for Orissa as it dreams to receive its 10 millionth tourist by 2012. To achieve the target, the State needs a year-on-year growth rate of over 15 percent. But in 2007 the annual growth rate had been only around 9.5 per cent and in 2008 slid to around 8.5 per cent.
The road ahead looks bumpy for Orissa as it dreams to receive its 10 millionth tourist by 2012. To achieve the target, the State needs a year-on-year growth rate of over 15 percent. But in 2007 the annual growth rate had been only around 9.5 per cent and in 2008 slid to around 8.5 per cent.
In case of foreign tourist arrivals too, the rate of growth slipped to 12.5 per cent from 14 per cent in 2007. So, to clock a double-digit growth rate the State needs some `incredible’ effort.
Pilgrimage tourists to Orissa account for a very nominal share of 1.7 per cent of its total arrivals. The Planning Commission has attributed the factors like lack of proper infrastructure, tourist circuit strategy and adequate public investment behind such stunted growth.
Pilgrimage tourists to Orissa account for a very nominal share of 1.7 per cent of its total arrivals. The Planning Commission has attributed the factors like lack of proper infrastructure, tourist circuit strategy and adequate public investment behind such stunted growth.
This assertion stands vindicated when it is noticed that as of March 31, 2008, as high as 26 projects in the tourism sector have been kept pending for lack of timely capital inflow. The United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation has emphasised on the need of a professional, well-funded travel and tourism research and information organisation that could draw strategies and contingencies taking into account emerging trends.
The inference is the State has to get a right mix of investment and proactive strategies to grab a significant share in the national tourism market.
1 comment:
It is rightly pointed out that Pilgrimage tourism in Orissa is not as high as it is in places like Viashno Devi Temple / Tirupati Devasthanam etc though we boast of World famous temples. To attract repeat pilgrims our temples have to be handed over to Trusts who can introduce technology and modern management practices for the convenience of the worshippers while preserving the sanctity of the religious place for a satisfying spiritual experience. Let our priests be taken to Vishno Devi / Siddhi Vinayak / Sabarimala shrines to realise what makes devotees to come to these temples again and again. Pilgrimage tourism in Orissa has immense potential. We need incredible commitment to tap this potential
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