It is not just pristine beaches and heritage sites that add colour to Odisha’s tourism potential. Hosting sporting events and building athletic talent could also give the industry a leg-up, say officials from Odisha, as it preps to host the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar.

“There is a very strong link between sports and tourism,” said Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Tourism Department and Sports, and Youth Services Department, Odisha. The State’s journey in sports started in 2013 when it sponsored the Hockey India League. Its League Team, Kalinga Lancers, is jointly owned by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation and Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd.

“It is a priority sector for the government. The budget for sports has increased from ₹60 crore in 2016-17 to ₹350 crore, to build infrastructure and for various schemes,” Dev said.

Plans ahead

An international sports city in Bhubaneswar and major sports complexes in different regions are in the works. To encourage athletes, the government is sponsoring top 20 with ₹50 lakh each for training overseas. Athletes like Srabani Nanda and Amiya Kumar Mallick are training in Jamaica, the Netherlands and the US, under this scheme.

There is also a programme for coaches, where they train foreign athletes here. So far, 90 coaches across 11 disciplines have been brought here.

Only last year the State hosted the Asian Athletics Championship. “We are hosting the Asian Women Rugby Championship and the National Senior Athletics Championship in the coming months,” Dev said.

JK Mohanty, Chairman, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha and Member, Tourism Advisory Council, Odisha, agreed that sports boost tourism. “The moment it is a world cup, people all over the world will look towards Odisha. Here is our opportunity,” he added.

Challenges

However, there are challenges too. At the World Cup, where at least 15,000 people are expected from across the world, there are not enough rooms to accommodate the visitors.

The State has only 700 rooms in the 3-5 star categories. “But there is a potential for at least 5,000 rooms in the next 3-4 years across the State,” Mohanty said. To encourage investments in the tourism industry, which is also a key focus sector under ‘Make in Odisha’, the government had come up with a tourism policy in 2016. Under this policy land bank is immediately available that companies can tap into at a cheaper price compared to other States.

Mohanty said the combination of a robust sports ecosystem and a conducive tourism policy will attract bigger brands to Odisha.

The reporter was in Bhubaneswar at the invitation of the Department of Industries, Government of Odisha

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