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Naveen inaugurates IATO meet

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Place to be: Puri beach a hot favourite of tourists.

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has assured the stake holders of the Indian hospitality industry that through the single window clearance committee system that his government has initiated; any tourism related projects would be cleared without any delay.

Inaugurating the 24th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), the Chief Minister stated that his government considers tourism as a priority sector for Orissa economic growth and hence is committed to explore the tourism potentials of the State.

The government believes in public-private-partnership mode in execution of tourism projects, he said and added that efforts are on to upgrade the Biju Patnaik airport into an international airport in order to attract more travellers from abroad, the Buddhists from the South-East Asia in particular.

Addressing the delegates, Union Tourism Secretary Mr.S.Banarjee acknowledged that tourism in India has been growing at a healthy rate but cautioned that the growth has also brought forth some challenges, climate change being the most formidable one. He called for responsible tourism by the stake holders of the industry.

Speaking on the occasion, IATO president Mr.Vijay Thakur elaborated IATO’s initiatives to bring in better professionalism into the hospitality service sector. He further appealed to the governments to provide land with low cost and on long lease basis to enable the hotel industry to set up new projects.

Similarly, convention chairperson Mr.Arjun Sharma briefed the deliberations slated for the three-day meet that has nearly 1,200 delegates from across the country. Shiv Khera, writer of the internationally acclaimed book “You Can Win” will address one of the sessions, he informed.

Among others, State Tourism Minister Mr.Debi Prasad Mishra, Commissioner of Tourism Mr. Parag Gupta, State Tourism Development Corporation chairperson Mr.Debasis Samantray and IATO’s State chapter president Mr. J. K. Mohanty spoke.

Former Director General of Tourism of the Central government Mr.V. K. Duggal was conferred the Hall of Fame award for the year on the occasion for his service to the growth of tourism in India.

Earlier, the delegates were welcomed with presentation of Odissi dance drama “Kanchi Abhiyan” by the Orissa Dance Academy troupe led by choreographer Ms.Aruna Mohanty.

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