Bhubaneswar, February 24 The Odisha government signed MoUs with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and the Aero Club of India (ACI) on Tuesday, with the aim of developing the state as a premier adventure tourism hub in Eastern India.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who heads the Tourism Department. Parida also launched the Go-Adventure portal.
Addressing the gathering, Parida said that safety is the cornerstone of the state's expansion of adventure tourism. Through international partnerships and a new focus on spiritual and experiential travel, the state plans to modernize the sector and attract fresh investment from young entrepreneurs, she said.
Parida praised the joint efforts of the Tourism, Sports, and Home Departments in opening a new chapter in Odisha's tourism landscape and called upon all departments to work collectively to make Odisha a world-class tourism destination.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who was present at the event, said that the state government is prioritizing tourism development with the vision of achieving "Utkarsh Odisha" by 2036 and "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.
She emphasized that all departments should explore ways to contribute to tourism growth alongside their core responsibilities and emphasized the importance of collective efforts.
Garg expressed hope that adventure tourism would boost local economies and create large-scale employment opportunities, and called upon stakeholders to adopt the mantra "Think India, Think Odisha".
Officials said that the Go-Adventure portal will simplify registration, verification, and licensing procedures for adventure tourism projects.
The MoU with the IMF is expected to strengthen safety audits and training programs for land-based adventure activities such as trekking and rock climbing.
The partnership with the Aero Club of India will regulate aerial adventure sports like paragliding and paramotoring in line with national aviation safety norms, officials said.
To improve ease of doing business, "Licence to Operate" (LTO) and "Recognition to Set Up" (RTS) certificates were issued to domestic operators, and several adventure tourism operators were formally handed licenses during the program.
Among distinguished guests, former union minister and ACI president Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Pawan Gupta from the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), Goa, joined the program virtually.
The initiative is expected to enhance safety standards, encourage investment, generate employment, and promote Odisha as a leading adventure tourism destination in India, said a tourism officer.