The Department of tourism will soon start the River Cruising in the State to boost tourism. Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy has directed the Department to revive the River cruise tourism on Public-Private Partnership.
Chief Secretary Thripathy said that River Cursing is compatible with COVID-19 restrictions and directed the Tourism Department to coordinate with Inland Waterways Authority regarding statutory requirements for developments of three principal river cruise circuits such as Chillika Lake, Mahanadi, and Dangamala Reserve Forest.
The State Government is now all set to announce the plans to reboots tourism via River Cruise. He further said that in Odisha, there is massive scope for class river cruising and a huge market for this. It can also be connected with many eco-spot and refill the economic activities in the sector.
The Coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for the The tourism department as the whole nation was under lockdown, and all the tourist places are still completely shutdown. But now, with unlock 4.0, the government is considering opening tourist places for the public while maintaining all the necessary precautions for the COVID-19.
The Tourism Department is now taking down all possibilities of innovative tourism activities at a high-level meeting with experts and stakeholders in digital mode.
Vishal Dev, Tourism Secretary, informed that three principal river circuits could be developed. The Bhitarkanika circuit can also connect the spots like Chandbali-Aradi-Dhamara-Khola to other locations in the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary.
This circuit can be a five nights and six days cruise. Chilika circuit can connect Chilika, Kalijai-Nalabana-Honeymoon island-Mangalajodi-Satapada-Rajhans island-Satapada and Puri. It could be a three-night and four days cruise.
At the meeting, several norms were discussed such as regulatory permission, compliance to pollution norms, river jetties, and bar license.Â
The State Government will completely give its support for this activity, and the State PPP cell was also advised to work out on all the details in consultation with the Department of Tourism and Odisha Tourism Development Corporation.Â
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