Bhubaneswar, Feb 24 (PTI) The Odisha government on Tuesday signed MoUs with Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and Aero Club of India (ACI) with an aim to develop the state as a premier adventure tourism
hub in Eastern India.
The MoUs were signed here in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who holds the Tourism Department. The DyCM also launched the Go-Adventure portal.
Addressing the gathering, Parida said safety is the cornerstone of the state's adventure tourism expansion. Through international partnerships and a new focus on spiritual and experience-based travel, the state plans to modernise the sector and attract fresh investment from young entrepreneurs, she said.
Parida appreciated the joint efforts of the Tourism, Sports and Home Departments in opening a new chapter in Odisha's tourism landscape and called upon all departments to work collectively to make Odisha a world-class tourism destination.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who was present at the event, said the state government is prioritising tourism development with the vision of achieving Utkarsh Odisha by 2036 and Viksit Bharat by 2047.
She stressed that all departments should explore ways to contribute to tourism growth alongside their core responsibilities and emphasised the importance of collective efforts.
Garg expressed hope that adventure tourism would boost local economies and create large-scale employment opportunities, and called upon stakeholders to adopt the mantra "Think India, Think Odisha".
Officials said the Go-Adventure portal will simplify registration, verification and licensing procedures for adventure tourism projects.
The MoU with the IMF is expected to strengthen safety audits and training programmes for land-based adventure activities such as trekking and rock climbing.
The partnership with the Aero Club of India will regulate aerial adventure sports like paragliding and paramotoring in line with national aviation safety norms, officials said.
To improve ease of doing business, 'Licence to Operate' (LTO) and 'Recognition to Set Up' (RTS) certificates were issued to domestic operators, and several adventure tourism operators were formally handed licences during the programme.
Among distinguished guests, former union minister and ACI president Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Pawan Gupta from the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), Goa, joined the programme virtually.
The initiative is expected to enhance safety standards, encourage investment, generate employment and promote Odisha as a leading adventure tourism destination in India, said a tourism officer. PTI BBM BBM RG
