Bhubaneswar: The Tourism department and the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) jointly organised a superbike rally in the twin cities to mark the World Tourism Day today.
Tourism Minister Ashwini Kumar Patra flagged off the superbike rally, Kalinga Rides, near Hotel Sandy’s Tower in the capital city here.
Among others, twin city Police Commissioner Saumendra Priyadarshi, BMC Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange and Additional Commissioner Suryawanshi Mayur were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Tourism Minister encouraged all stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and local communities, to join hands for promoting sustainable tourism. “Odisha is known not only for its natural beauty but also for the authenticity of its tourism experiences. Let us continue to work together to make Odisha a world-class destination under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The Odisha Tourism juggernaut has rolled and tourism sector is seeing a massive transformation in the state,” he said.
Tourism Director Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav said super bikers have been an integral part of the tourism ecosystem in Odisha. “The ‘Odisha by Road’ campaign was launched 3 years ago with the intention of welcoming more and more riders to the state. Super bikers have been an integral part of the tourism ecosystem in the state and they have been working tirelessly as ambassadors of Odisha Tourism,” said Jadhav.
At least 150 riders, under the banner of ‘Odisha Super Riders’, participated in the rally that concluded at Silver City Boat Club in Cuttack.
At the valedictory ceremony, the Tourism Director read out a special message sent by the Chief Minister to highlight the initiatives introduced by the state government to promote sustainable tourism in Odisha.
“Our flagship project, Eco-Retreat Odisha is a highly successful zero-waste glamping product that ensures tourists can explore nature’s beauty and engage in vivid experiences, in the most sustainable manner. The glamping event is organized every year at lesser-explored exotic destinations to promote local tourism and biodiversity,” said the Chief Minister in his message.
Participating in the event, Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said, “The city of Cuttack is renowned for its rich history and heritage and is a major pivot in the tourism map of Odisha. I thank the Tourism department and OTDC for their efforts towards the holistic development of Tourism in the millennium city. Destinations like the redeveloped Silver City Boat Club and the ‘Byanjana’ Food Court and the water sports zone at Taladanda Canal front which have been recently inaugurated by the Chief Minister will serve as great avenues for recreational tourism for the residents of Silver City.”
Barabati-Cuttack MLA Md. Moquim, Choudwar-Cuttack MLA Sauvic Biswal, Cuttack Mayor Subhash Singh, Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Anil Samal, Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani, OTDC Chairman Lenin Mohanty, Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra Yojana Advisor Durga Samantaray and Odisha Super Riders convener Devjyoti Patnaik were present on the occasion.
Members of the Odisha Super Riders community and winners of the Bloggers Contest 2023, organised by the Odisha Tourism, were felicitated on the occasion.
A six-day food festival, jointly organised by the Tourism department and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), was inaugurated at the Silver City Boat Club on the occasion.
To mark the occasion, a cultural event was also organised by the Tourism department at Bhanja Kala Mandap in the capital city here. Officials of the Tourism department staged play ‘Nistabdha Sahanai’ during the event.
The Cultural Evening was inaugurated by the Tourism Minister in presence of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) Director Prasanna Pradhan, ASI Bhubaneswar superintending archaeologist Sushanta Kumar Kar and senior officials among others. The annual magazine of the Tourism department, ‘Paribrajaka’, was also released on the occasion.
