Bhubaneswar: Odisha marked World Tourism Day 2026 with a series of initiatives aimed at promoting digital innovation, sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship and greater community participation in the state’s tourism ecosystem.
The state-level celebration was held at the State Convention Centre, Lok Seba Bhawan, with Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida as Chief Guest and Chief Secretary Anu Garg as Guest of Honour.
The celebrations were aligned with the World Tourism Day 2026 theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism”, highlighting the role of technology in creating accessible, connected and future-ready tourism experiences.
Addressing the gathering, Parida stressed the potential of tourism to generate livelihoods, promote entrepreneurship and enable local communities to become active stakeholders in Odisha’s development. She called for greater integration of technology, sustainability, heritage, innovation and community participation.
She also emphasised the need to ensure that tourism benefits reach youth, women, entrepreneurs, artisans and tourism service providers across the state.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted the importance of coordinated efforts, institutional partnerships and innovation in strengthening Odisha’s tourism ecosystem. She stressed the need to create opportunities for local communities while ensuring quality visitor experiences and sustainable management of destinations.
The Department of Tourism signed three key MoUs during the programme. An agreement with the State Bank of India (SBI) will facilitate financial support for homestays, while a partnership with the Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association will support the development of adventure tourism.
An MoU with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will strengthen heritage tourism. ASI Director General Yadubir Singh Rawat highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting heritage assets as part of the tourism experience.
The programme also saw the flag-off of OTDC luxury coaches to improve tourist mobility. An OTDC electric boat at Barkul and a catamaran by Swosti at Chilika Lake were virtually flagged off, adding new mobility and visitor-experience options at Chilika.
Provisional Registration Certificates were distributed to 176 beneficiaries under the Odisha Homestay Scheme, supporting community participation and livelihood opportunities through accommodation and experiential tourism. LTO/RTS were also distributed to adventure tour operators.
A presentation on “Redesigning Tourism with Digital Innovation” highlighted the role of digital technologies in destination discovery, tourism services and visitor experiences.
The celebrations also included a capacity-building workshop for homestay owners and a sensitisation workshop on the Ethnic Tourism Initiative to encourage community-based and ethnic tourism.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Isabelle Tschan addressed the gathering virtually.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Department of Tourism Balwant Singh said the initiatives would help create diverse visitor experiences while strengthening local entrepreneurship, institutional partnerships and community participation.
The celebrations will conclude with the inauguration of a Light & Sound Show at Khandagiri by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida. The show will combine heritage interpretation, technology and immersive storytelling to create a new visitor experience at the historic site
