Bhubaneswar, Sep 27 : Odisha organised superbike rally, food festival and cultural programme to observe the World Tourism Day 2023 on Wednesday.
The Tourism department and Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) Ltd. organised the annual Superbike Rally ‘Kalinga Rides’ from capital city Bhubaneswar to Silver City Boat Club, Cuttack to commemorate the day.
Odisha Tourism Minister Aswini Kumar Patra flagged off the Superbike Rally in which more than 150 Super Riders had congregated under the banner of ‘Odisha Super Riders’.
Speaking on the occasion, Patra encouraged all stakeholders, from entrepreneurs to local communities, to join hands in promoting sustainable tourism to make Odisha a world-class destination .
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, and they have been working tirelessly as ambassadors of Odisha Tourism, the minister said.
With green investments being the central theme for World Tourism Day 2023, the Odisha Tourism Department will strive towards spreading the message of the day in the days to come”, said Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Director Tourism.
Traversing a 30 Kilometre stretch from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack via Trisulia, the Superbike Rally culminated at Silver City Boat Club, Cuttack where an event was organised on the occasion to commemorate the spirit of the Super Riders.
A special message by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on World Tourism Day 2023 highlighting various initiatives taken by the state Government on bringing in investments for creating a more sustainable Tourism sector in Odisha,was read out by Director Tourism .
The flagship project, Eco-Retreat Odisha, he said 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’’, it stated.
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The city of Cuttack is renowned for its rich history and heritage and is a major pivot in the tourism map of Odisha.
Destinations like the redeveloped Silver City Boat Club and the ‘Byanjana’ Food Court & Watersports Zone at Taladanda Canalfront which have been recently inaugurated by Chief Minister will serve as great avenues for recreational tourism for the residents of Silver City Cuttack”, said Member of Parliament Cuttack Bhatruhari Mahatab.
On this occasion, a 6-day Food Festival organised jointly by the Tourism department and Cuttack Municipal Corporation was inaugurated by Mayor Cuttack Municipal Corporation Subhash Singh to promote Odisha’s culinary heritage.
In the evening, a cultural programme was also organised by the Department of Tourism at Bhanja Kala Mandap. A stage play ‘Nistabdha Sahanai’ was performed by the officials of the Tourism Department. The Cultural Evening was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Aswini Kumar Patra .