Tourism inks pact with SBI, ASI, kayaking body

Bhubaneswar: The tourism department on Sunday signed three MoUs with State Bank of India, Archaeological Survey of India and Indian Kayaking & Canoeing Association, seeking to boost homestays, heritage tourism and adventure tourism in the state.The agreements were signed as Odisha observed World Tourism Day 2026 with a focus on digital innovation, sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship and greater participation of local communities in tourism.Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, who holds the tourism portfolio, said tourism should create livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities for local communities, particularly youth, women, artisans and tourism service providers.She also stressed the need to leverage technology and emerging digital tools to improve destination discovery, access to tourism services and visitor experience.Chief secretary Anu Garg highlighted the need for coordinated efforts and institutional partnerships to strengthen the state’s tourism ecosystem while ensuring sustainable management of destinations and opportunities for local communities.Under the MoU with SBI, financial support will be extended to homestays, providing a fillip to community-led tourism and grassroots entrepreneurship. Provisional registration certificates under the Odisha Homestay Scheme were also distributed to 176 beneficiaries.Tourism department also signed an MoU with IKCA to promote adventure tourism in Odisha. Licences/registration certificates were distributed to adventure tour operators as part of efforts to formalise and expand adventure tourism activities.The agreement with ASI seeks to strengthen cooperation for heritage tourism. ASI director general Yadubir Singh Rawat, who addressed the gathering, highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting heritage assets as part of the tourism experience.OTDC luxury coaches were also flagged off during the programme to improve tourist mobility. An electric boat at Barkul and a catamaran by Swosti at Chilika Lake were virtually flagged off, adding new mobility and visitor-experience options at the state’s major tourism destination.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bhubaneswar | Silver Rate in Bhubaneswar | Bank Holidays in Bhubaneswar | Public Holidays in Bhubaneswar | Petrol Price in Bhubaneswar | Diesel Price in Bhubaneswar | CNG Price in Bhubaneswar | LPG Price in BhubaneswarStay updated with the latest Bhubaneswar news. Download the TOI App.