Bhubaneswar: In a major push to establish Odisha as a premier adventure tourism hub in Eastern India, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday launched the ‘Go-Adventure’ portal at Lok Seva Bhawan. She also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) and the Aero Club of India (ACI).
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy CM emphasised safety as the cornerstone of the state’s adventure tourism expansion. Through international partnerships and a renewed focus on spiritual and experience-based travel, the government plans to modernise the sector and attract fresh investment from young entrepreneurs. She appreciated the joint efforts of the Tourism, Sports, and Home Departments in opening a new chapter in Odisha’s tourism landscape and called upon all departments to work collectively to make Odisha a world-class tourism destination.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, present on the occasion, said the State Government is prioritising tourism development with the vision of achieving ‘Utkarsh Odisha by 2036’ and ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’. She stressed that all departments should explore ways to contribute to tourism growth alongside their core responsibilities and emphasised the importance of collective efforts. She expressed hope that adventure tourism would boost local economies and create large-scale employment opportunities and called upon stakeholders to adopt the mantra: “Think India, Think Odisha.”
Officials said the Go-Adventure portal will simplify registration, verification, and licensing procedures for adventure tourism projects.
The MoU with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation is expected to strengthen safety audits and training programs for land-based adventure activities such as trekking and rock climbing. The partnership with the Aero Club of India will regulate aerial adventure sports like paragliding and paramotoring in accordance with national aviation safety norms.
To improve ease of doing business, ‘Licence to Operate’ (LTO) and ‘Recognition to Set Up’ (RTS) certificates were issued to domestic operators, and several adventure tourism operators were formally handed licenses during the program.
Among distinguished guests, former Union Minister and President of the Aero Club of India, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, attended the program, while Dr. Pawan Gupta from the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), Goa, joined virtually.
Other dignitaries included DG Fire Services and Home Guards Dr. Sudhanshu Sarangi. Tourism Commissioner-cum-Secretary Balwant Singh, Secretary Sports and Youth Services Bhupendra Singh Poonia, and Director Tourism Dipankar Mohapatra played key roles in organising the program.
General Secretary of the Aero Club of India, Arvind Badoni, and Honorary Secretary of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, Kirti Paisa, were present for technical collaboration discussions. IG Fire Services Umashankar Dash also attended to review safety arrangements. Senior officials of the Tourism Department and members of adventure tourism associations were present on the occasion.
The initiative is expected to enhance safety standards, encourage investment, generate employment, and promote Odisha as a leading adventure tourism destination in India.
