Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Pravati Parida, the Odisha Tourism Minister, is making a powerful and impactful appearance at the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) 2025, which is now taking place in Jaipur. A wide range of strategic business meetings, targeted contacts, and high-level discussions with domestic and foreign tourist players characterize the state’s involvement. Over the following two days, the Odisha delegation has a full schedule, with a particular emphasis on the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry. To market Odisha as a new MICE destination, targeted conversations are being held with important participants in the tourism and event management ecosystem.
Speaking during the “Meet in India Conclave” at the GITB’s first session, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat praised Odisha’s aggressive tourism approach. He commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and pointed to Odisha’s campaign as a prime illustration of regional tourism being elevated to a global level.
“Many states have taken up tourism promotion aggressively and strategically. Odisha’s campaign at GITB reflects professionalism and vision,” said Shekhawat.
The goal of Odisha’s GITB 2025 campaign is to attract investors, domestic and foreign travel agents, and destination planners. The emphasis areas, which strengthen Odisha’s standing as a comprehensive tourist destination, are heritage, ecotourism, culture, and business travel. Balwant Singh, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism, represented Odisha at the Secretaries’ Roundtable on MICE Tourism as part of the official schedule. He described how the state successfully hosted major events including the Asian Athletics Championship, the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025, all of which were made possible by infrastructure that was supplied in less than 90 days.
In order to establish the state as a model for replicable MICE operations, Singh also highlighted Odisha’s advancements in delegate management, such as portal-based systems, real-time mobility monitoring, and community-integrated planning. Deputy Chief Minister Parvati Parida presided over a high-level stakeholder conference on MICE tourism in Odisha, which was a noteworthy side event. Over forty-five people attended the workshop, including officials from Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Foreign Tour Operators (FTOs), and Event Management Agencies (EMAs).
