THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 24, 2026
Odisha on Tuesday scripted a landmark moment in its tourism journey with
the launch of the ‘Go-Adventure’ portal and the signing of strategic Memoranda
of Understanding with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and the Aero Club of
India, signalling a determined push to position the state as the premier
adventure tourism hub of Eastern India.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, launching the initiative at Lok
Seva Bhavan, underscored that “Safety First” will be the guiding principle of
Odisha’s adventure tourism expansion. Emphasising global standards and
structured regulation, she said the government is integrating international
best practices with a renewed focus on spiritual, experiential and youth-driven
tourism. She appreciated the coordinated efforts of the Tourism, Sports and
Home Departments in opening a new chapter for the state’s tourism landscape and
called for sustained inter-departmental collaboration to elevate Odisha into a world-class
destination.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted tourism as a key growth engine
aligned with the vision of Utkarsh Odisha by 2036 and Viksit Bharat by 2047,
urging every department to contribute to the sector beyond its core mandate.
She expressed confidence that adventure tourism will energise local economies,
generate large-scale employment and unlock entrepreneurial opportunities,
invoking the mantra “Think India, Think Odisha” as a call for collective
action.
The newly launched Go-Adventure portal is set to transform governance of
the sector by streamlining registration, verification and licensing processes
for adventure tourism projects, thereby improving transparency and ease of
doing business. In a significant regulatory reform, ‘Licence to Operate’ and ‘Recognition
to Set Up’ certificates were issued to domestic operators, with several
adventure tourism stakeholders receiving formal licences during the programme.
The partnership with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation will
institutionalise safety audits and specialised training for land-based
activities such as trekking and rock climbing, while the collaboration with the
Aero Club of India will bring aerial sports like paragliding and paramotoring
under national aviation safety norms. These measures are expected to
standardise operations and enhance tourist confidence.
Former Union Minister and President of the Aero Club of India Rajiv
Pratap Rudy attended the event, lending national prominence to the initiative,
while Dr. Pawan Gupta of the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa, joined
virtually to contribute technical insights. Senior officials including DG Fire
Services and Home Guards Dr. Sudhanshu Sarangi, Tourism
Commissioner-cum-Secretary Balwant Singh, Sports and Youth Services Secretary Bhupendra
Singh Poonia and Director Tourism Dipankar Mohapatra played pivotal roles in
organising the programme.
General Secretary of the Aero Club of India Arvind Badoni and Honorary Secretary of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Kirti Paisa participated in technical consultations, and IG Fire Services Umashankar Dash reviewed safety preparedness.
