Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, hosted a roundtable discussion in Kyoto with the authorities of Japan regarding opportunities for collaboration between Japan and Odisha in Tourism and Sports.
Major tour operators and representatives of the hospitality sector and sports associations and representatives of the sports sector from Japan attended the discussion.
During the discussion, the Chief Minister highlighted the immense potential of Odisha as a tourist destination, with a particular emphasis on leveraging Odisha’s rich Buddhist tradition especially the heritage sites in Dhauli, Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri, Udayagiri.
He also shared about the various initiatives undertaken by the Government of Odisha to promote tourism and improve tourism infrastructure in the state.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the significant strides made by Odisha in the sports sector and expressed his hope for collaboration with Japanese sports associations and universities.
The delegation also provided an overview of the investment opportunities available in Odisha for Japanese investors in the tourism and sports sectors. The representatives from the tourism and hospitality sector expressed their interest in exploring the possibilities of collaboration with Odisha, given the state’s unique cultural heritage and natural beauty.
The roundtable discussion provided an excellent opportunity for both the Japanese and Odisha delegations to explore avenues of collaboration in tourism and sports. The meeting concluded with the participants expressing their commitment to working towards strengthening ties between Japan and Odisha in these critical sectors.
Principal secretary Industries Hemant Sharma made detailed presentation on Tourism sector in Odisha and the opportunities with State policy. Secretary Sports Vineel Krishna made presentation on the sports sector related activities and the unique partnership model promoted by the state.