In a major move to transform Odisha into a premier adventure tourism hub in Eastern India, the state government on Tuesday signed two key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and the Aero Club of India (ACI).
The MoUs were signed in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also holds the Tourism Department portfolio. The DyCM also launched the ‘Go-Adventure’ portal to streamline the sector.
During the gathering, DyCM Parida emphasised that safety remains the absolute cornerstone of Odisha’s tourism expansion. She outlined a vision to modernise the industry through international partnerships and a new focus on spiritual and experience-based travel, aiming to attract significant investment from young entrepreneurs and startups.
Parida lauded the collaborative efforts of the Tourism, Sports, and Home Departments in launching a new chapter in Odisha’s tourism landscape and urged all departments to work collectively to elevate Odisha to the status of a world-class tourism destination, ensuring a seamless experience for global and domestic travellers.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who was present at the event, said that tourism development is a top priority under the “Utkarsh Odisha 2036” and “Viksit Bharat 2047” frameworks.
She called on every department to find ways to contribute to tourism growth, regardless of their primary mandate, through integrated planning.
Garg expressed optimism that the surge in adventure tourism would revitalise local economies and generate large-scale employment opportunities. She challenged stakeholders to adopt the ambitious mantra, “Think India, Think Odisha,” to position the state as the national leader in the sector.
According to officials, the newly launched Go-Adventure portal will act as a digital gateway, simplifying the registration, verification, and licensing processes for all adventure-based projects in the state. This move is expected to significantly improve the ease of doing business for local operators.
The partnership with the IMF is designed to bolster safety audits and specialised training for land-based activities like trekking and rock climbing. Meanwhile, the collaboration with the Aero Club of India will ensure that aerial adventure sports, such as paragliding and paramotoring, in line with national aviation safety norms, officials added.
To further ease the ease of doing business, ‘Licence to Operate’ (LTO) and ‘Recognition to Set Up’ (RTS) certificates were issued to several domestic operators, and several adventure tourism operators were formally handed licences during the programme.
The event saw participation from distinguished guests, including former Union Minister and ACI President Rajiv Pratap Rudy, as well as representatives from the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) in Goa, both of whom joined the proceedings 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.
