Bhubaneswar: In a bid to improve the tourism sector, the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Odisha (HRAO) on Thursday submitted its feedback and recommendations to the state govt with a plea to amend the tourism policy of 2022 in consultation with stakeholders and travel and trade agencies. In a letter to chief minister Mohan Majhi, the HRAO offered suggestions for inclusion in the vision document — ‘Bikasita Bharata Pain Bikasita Odisha'. "For the growth of tourism in Odisha, the development of tourism infrastructure should be prioritised, as is happening in Goa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.
It will contribute to the growth of the state's economy," the association wrote. In the letter HRAO said though the govt has created a land bank for the construction of hotels in various tourist destinations, the benefit is being taken up by influential builders, who are utilising the land for the construction of shopping malls and apartments instead. "Looking at the acute shortage of hotel rooms, we request the govt to provide land in various tourist places to select hoteliers.
More star category or luxury hotels in Odisha are the need of the hour. The subsidies on land would act as a major boost for this sector," the letter pointed out. The association further suggested that the Panthanivas presently run by the govt at different tourist places should be operated in public-private partnership mode by prospective hoteliers to help promote tourism in these places.
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