Bhubaneswar: The state government is leaving no stone unturned to promote the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 tournament scheduled to be held here next month.
The government is taking all possible measures to promote the tournament and popularise Odisha tourism in and outside the country.
After promoting the event in London and Australia through buses carrying the message, ‘Odisha by Morning, Hockey by Evening,’ the campaign is now making a mark at Munich in Germany.
Like London and Sydney the bus will do a 360 degree promotional campaign across Munich till October 31. Munich is now hosting the world’s largest folk festival ‘Munich Oktoberfest’ and around six million visitors are expected for that.
This will provide the perfect opportunity for the Odisha Government to promote its campaign, sources said.
The campaign has been designed to ensure that not just hockey fans but tourists also flock to Bhubaneswar during November and December when the Hockey extravaganza would be taking place, the sources added.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Odisha Sports and Youth Services and Tourism departments, Vishal Dev said, “Oktoberfest is a huge crowd puller and bus advertising is a powerful means to disseminate ideas. Odisha will get valuable exposure during the peak morning and evening commutes, and it will go a long way in popularising the state as an exciting sports and tourist destination. Bus advertising is part of the wider marketing campaign undertaken for Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.”
Odisha is making its mark as a premium tourist destination. The many beaches, natural forests and historic architectural attractions like temples and Buddhist monuments make it the ultimate destination for tourists. The hockey loving public of Munich can not only enjoy the high octane action of hockey’s global showpiece event in Odisha but also various other things the state has to offer during winter, Dev added.
The promotional road campaign has 17 stops in all parts of the country, including the six metropolitan cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Ahead of the Men’s Hockey World Cup here, Odisha Tourism has launched special tour packages for visitors, titled ‘Odisha by Day and Hockey by Night’.
The Tourism department will facilitate visits to tourist spots in and around the state capital under these packages.
