| Department moots eco-tourism panel | |
| Jayajit Dash / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar November 06, 2009, 0:58 IST | |
In a bid to promote eco-tourism in a big way in Orissa, the state tourism department plans to constitute an eco-tourism committee within the ministry of environment and forests.
The committee would be responsible for the regulatory and policy efforts for development of eco-tourism in the state and coordinate between the departments of environment and forests and tourism.
The composition of the committee as well as its members shall be decided based on discussions between the two said departments.
Moreover, the tourism department would also facilitate through the proposed District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs), the development of eco-tourism societies and other similar agencies for the development of eco-tourism at the district and village levels.
The tourism department in association with the department of environment and forests wishes to involve the local communities and other stakeholders in development of eco-tourism.
The state government is exploring a model for eco-tourism development which allows private sector development under a regulatory framework and focuses on conservation, building stakes for the local community and ensuring that there is a flow of economic benefits to the local community.
Eco-tourism has been identified by the state tourism department as a sustainable tourism segment with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.{
The principal goal of eco-tourism is to strengthen the cause of conservation by providing additional employment opportunities to local communities, reducing resource dependence on forests and promoting bio-diversity hotspots.
Meanwhile, the state tourism department is also working on improvement of its marketing strategies to promote the different tourism segments and also the tourism products.
The draft tourism policy has envisaged improved budgetary support in the state budget for marketing and promotion of tourism for developing a detailed action plan for a defined period for setting out actionable steps for the marketing and promotion of tourism in the state. Besides, the policy also talks of initiatives to promote marketing research and developing a comprehensive database on tourism products, tourism literature, tour operators and characteristics as well as preferences of Orissa's inbound tourists.
In addition to this, the tourism department will facilitate and support approved tourism providers from Orissa in obtaining financial support under the Market Development Assistance scheme of the Union ministry of tourism for undertaking tourism promotional activities abroad.
Apart from the Central schemes, the state tourism department is also keen on developing schemes focused on specific tourism products for providing marketing support, support in infrastructure creation & employment generation with an emphasis on local participation.
These schemes would be administered through the DTPCs and the local tourism destination development bodies registered with the state tourism department.
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