Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 23: The state government has decided to bring in a new tourism policy on the lines of the Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR)-2015 to attract more tourists.
The policy would be chalked out in one month.
“A new tourism policy would come up soon that would provide incentives for infrastructure development at tourist destinations in the state. The finance department is analysing the incentive proposals,” said tourism secretary Gagan Kumar Dhal after attending a tourism advisory committee meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here Thursday.
The draft of the Tourism Policy-2016 has been prepared and is under consideration of the government, he said.
The new policy involves coming up with more attractive offers for inviting investments in the tourism sector, particularly in matters relating to land allotment, capital investment subsidy, interest subsidy, VAT reimbursement, reimbursement of entry tax, environmental protection infrastructure subsidy, entertainment tax, MV tax for tourist coaches, participation in oversees tourist events and printing of tourism literature, he said.
After the policy is implemented, land will be identified within three months at the tourist destinations for infrastructure development, including the setting up of star-rated hotels, said Dhal.
Padhi directed the officials of the departments of forest and environment and tourism to work out a structured trip package for various eco-tourism spots in the state.
The Chief Secretary also directed the tourism department to complete identification of land for a tourism land bank within three months.
It was also decided that the government would organise roadshows in various states to showcase the tourism potential of the Orissa. The tourism department was asked to make the roadshows and participation in international tourism promotion events more focused and outcome oriented.
Officials at the meeting decided to start the first trip of Baristha Nagarika Tritha Yatra Yojana (BNTYY) July 25 with 1,000 persons from Berhampur station.The state government has already started a project for the development of various eco-tourism spots. Around 20 eco-tourism sites have been taken up at an estimated investment of `100 crore over five years.
Available data shows that there has been a constant increase in tourist footfall in eco-tourist spots over the last three years. In 2012-13, the total footfall in eco-tourist spots was 2,76,206. This increased to 3,12,980 in 2013-14 and 3,47,965 in 2014-15. This year there is an increasing trend in the rate of footfall, which is expected to be more than last year.
