The capital city should be connected with more international flights because the flights via Delhi are time consuming, in futile. Once, I had nearly missed my flight
Michel Binder | An Austrian tourist
Bhubaneswar: Around 154 visitors including twenty six foreign tour operators, 93 students from IIT Bhubaneswar and 35 usual visitors thronged the Ekamra Walks at Old Town Circuit here Sunday.
The tourists were taken aback with the sight of the old monuments and also came to know about the traditional offerings to the forefathers on the banks of holy lake Bindusagar.
In the afternoon, 40 participants joined the Museum Walk at Kala Bhoomi and all combined the two walks witnessed a footfall of 195 enthusiasts of history, archaeology, arts, crafts, traditions and rituals. In the morning, as the turnout was huge, three groups were created which were managed by three guides.
Michel Binder from Austria, a tour operator, said, “The capital city should be connected with more international flights because the flights via Delhi are time consuming, in futile. Once, I had nearly missed my flight. The e-visa system should also start in the airport to make travel easier and smoother.’’
Another tour operator from Stockholm, Cecelia Purits, summed up her three days’ stay as a memorable. Cecelia has visited the state on earlier occasions as well. Everything here has a nice story to tell, she said. “Odisha is India’s well kept secret. I hope you all should work towards keeping the secret intact forever,” she added.
Michel, who travelled to Puri and explored some tribal areas, said the state has got an immense potential to attract foreign tourists.
Rita Erdosi, a Hungarian, termed her visit “meaningful” and said the state’s tourism treasure has attracted her like anything.
Aonjira Somjai from Bangkok, Thailand, a member of Rakyim Tour, said, “Odisha has got a nice potential to attract tourists from East Asian nations due to its deep rooted Buddhist connections.”
Linlir U from Wengchu, China said, “The people and temples of Odisha are very beautiful and it has a great potential to tap foreign tourists.”
Guy Haggege from Paris, France, said, “We would also like to bring visitors from Europe, but the pollution like plastics near monuments should be managed well and Odisha should give more emphasis to professional education in tourism management to deal with more inflow of visitors.”
Shantanu Patra, a professor in School of Infrastructure, IIT Bhubaneswar, said, “The exposure visit for students would be a different type of experience and many students might come again and again to know more about the ancient structures.”
First year engineering students— Samatha, Mamatha, Sneha, Amruth, Abhisekh— termed their visit as “educative and special.”
Saismita Khuntia, a history student from BJB Autonomous College here, said, “As a student of history, I am always attracted towards old structures, but Ekamra Walks has inspired me to take up a career in archaeology or conservation in future.”