Introduction

Travelling by men is going on since ancient times. It is an integral part of human life. It is for livelihood pleasure, relaxation and recreation. However, its increasing importance began in the 21st century. Invention of stream-engine and expansion of railway network in the beginning of the 19th century, which brought comfort and saved time (Mishra and Rout, 2016). A person travels away from his home on a certain purpose and stays at different places neither for a long period nor for permanently. International tourism flourished after the end of 20th century because of budget airlines. Modern tourism is commercial oriented, organized, and intensive. Conducive political scenario, easy transportation, development basic infrastructure, friendly environment, safe and secured journey are vital for attracting new travellers (Indapurkar and Berry, 2015).

Tourism sector has a no predetermined boundary. It is a vital part of the service sector of any nation. Tourism industry is a group of industries, which provide various products and services to the travellers during their travel trips. Food and lodging are the basic requirements for any tourist. Tourism industry can be considered as the consumption of goods and services during traveling which is known as the demand side of tourism industry (Sharpley, 2000). It increases demand of goods and services of other industries. Transport, hotel, hospitality and food industries are directly involved with the tourism industry. Supply side of tourism industry includes various subsidiaries or industries, which supply basic products or services to the travellers (Mohanty et. al., 2019).1, 2, 3

Importance and growth of tourism sector varies from country to country. It has various economic and non-economic (i.e. social or cultural) benefits. It enhances the economic activities, because it involves consumption of commodities and services. It can contribute for increasing economic growth and building the identity of the nations. It is an important source of employment generation and foreign exchange reserves. It has multiple effects on output and employment (Mohapatra et. al., 2019). This sector is labour-intensive and has the forward and backward linkages for employment creation. It works like a deep root for the overall development of a society and its economy. The main objectives of this paper are: (a) to study the growth of tourism industry in Odisha; (b) to identify the relation between tourist growth and the gross domestic product of Odisha; (c) to examine the prospects of tourism industry in Odisha; and (d) to identify the challenges before its tourism industry in the state.4, 5, 6

Materials and Methods

The present study is based on the secondary data. The data has been collected from different reports of the Department of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha, The Statistical Bulletin, Govt. of Odisha, Odisha Tourism Development Corporation etc. The primary source for the purpose is “Odisha Statistics Bulletin: 2010-19”. Various journals and books have also been referred in the present study. For the present study, the researcher has used Linear Regression analysis to authenticate the hypotheses. Data analyses have been done on the following hypotheses:

(a) Growth of Tourism Sector in Odisha

Odisha is more renowned for its religious, heritage, cultural and adventure tourism. Development of hotel infrastructure is important for the growth of the tourism industry. The number of hotels in the state is increasing by the year. There were 1328 hotels in the state in 2011, which increased to 1961 in 2019. These hotels have 41,207 rooms with 82,377 beds. These hotels can be classified into High Spending Groups, Middle Spending Groups, and Low Spending Groups. In the last decade the share of the first two groups have increased from 28.58% of the total hotels to 41.8%. It is growing rapidly due to the increased number of both domestic and international tourists. International tourists are comparatively spending more time and money on an average compared to the domestic tourists.

The above table illustrates that during 2010-2019, number of domestic and foreign tourists has doubled because of 153.07 lakhs of domestic tourists and 1.15 lakhs of foreign tourists visited Odisha. Domestic tourist are mainly responsible for the growth of tourism in the state. The overall inflow of tourists to the state is quite impressive. In the last ten years except the year 2015 and 2020, the growth rate of foreign tourists to the state is always positive and, the growth percentage of foreign tourists is higher than the domestic tourists. Tourism sector was adversely affected in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, and therefore the number of tourist was sharply fallen.

The above table depicts that foreign tourist arrivals in India and Odisha is increasing continuously until 2019. Foreign tourist arrival in India was about 57.75 lakhs in 2010, which was 76.79 lakhs in 2014, and it reached to 109.30 lakhs in 2019, but was fallen to 71.71 lakhs in 2020. About 0.5 lakhs foreign tourists arrived in Odisha in 2010, which was 0.71 lakhs in 2014, and reached to 1.15 lakhs in 2019, but fallen to 0.1 lakhs in 2020. The share of Odisha in foreign tourist arrivals in national figure was 0.87% in 2010, which was 1.05% in 2019 and 0.14% in 2020.

The above table shows that the number of domestic tourists to the state have increased continuously, except the year 2020, in which the number of own state tourists are higher than the tourists of other States / UTs of India. The total number of domestic tourist was almost 75.9 lakhs in 2010, which was 107.9 lakhs in 2014, and reached to 153.07 lakhs in 2019. Tourists from the other States /Union territories were just above 30.28 lakhs, which was 43.16 lakhs in 2014, and was reached to 61.23 lakhs in 2019. The number of tourists from Odisha was almost 45.62 lakhs in 2010, which was 64.74 lakhs in 2014, and 91.84 lakhs in 2019, but was fallen 46 lakhs in 2020. From 2010 to 2019, the total number of domestic tourists has almost doubled.

The above table reveals that the number of foreign tourists from various regions are continuously in rise until 2019. Foreign tourist arrival was hardly affected due to covid pandemic. The highest number of foreign tourist arrived in Odisha was from Western Europe, followed by East Asia and North America respectively. The least number of tourists who visited the state were from Central America, South America and Africa.

The above table illustrates the names of source countries of foreign tourists to Odisha. The highest number of foreign tourists visited to Odisha were from the United States, which was followed by Japan and China. Except the United States, China, United Kingdom, and Malaysia increased number of tourists from other countries also visiting the state since 2016. Cyclone Fani and spread of Covid pandemic are responsible for the decreased number of tourist footfall in 2019 and 2020. However, the domestic tourists are playing vital role for the growth of tourism sector in the state.

The above table shows the inflow of money from both domestic and international tourists which increased continuously from 2015 to 2018, but decreased in 2019 and 2020. The inflow of money from domestic tourists was approximately 33 times higher than the foreign tourists in 2013-14, which reached 37 times higher in 2016-17, and was nearly 35 times higher in 2019-20.

The Linear Regression has been run taking Gross Domestic Product [as Y] as dependent variable and Domestic Tourist Inflow [as X] as independent variable.

The R square is found to be 0.832538348, showing, thereby that there is quite a significant degree of relation between the dependent variable Y, i.e. Gross Domestic Product and dependent variable X, i.e. Inflow of domestic tourists. Thus, the researchers reject the null hypothesis.

The value of t-stat has come out to be -0.10921 and the P-value has come out to be 0.919934. The value of t-stat is less than the p-value and, therefore, the null hypothesis has been rejected and it can be said that the number of domestic tourist inflow and Odisha’s GDP are significantly correlated.

.

The F-test statistics of the above table is 24.87 with a p-value less than 0.01 indicates that, the null hypothesis has been rejected and it can be said that the number of domestic tourist inflow and Odisha’s GDP are significantly correlated.

The Linear regression has been run taking Gross Domestic Product [as Y] as dependent variable and International Tourist Inflow [as X] as independent variable.

The value of R square in this case has come out to be 0.797229621, thus showing a significant degree of relation between the dependent variable Y, i.e. GDP and independent variable X, i.e. Inflow of foreign tourists. However, the degree of relation for foreign tourists is lower than that of the domestic tourist inflow in the state of Odisha.

The value of t-stat has come out to be 0.361408601 and the P-value has come out to be 0.732563695. The value of t-stat is less than the p-value and therefore the null hypothesis has been rejected and it can be said that the number of foreign tourist inflow and Odisha’s GDP are significantly correlated.

The F-test statistics of the above table is 19.65 with a p-value less than 0.01 indicates that, the null hypothesis has been rejected and it can be said that the number of foreign tourist inflow and Odisha’s GDP are significantly correlated.

Prospects of Tourism Sector in Odisha

Odisha is more renowned for its tourism sector, which attracts lots of foreign and domestic tourist every year. Places like Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark have been attracting thousands of tourists from different parts of India. Odisha has many unique tourist destinations. The scenic beauty, wildlife sanctuaries, temples, natural landscapes, monuments, craftsmanship, and untouched beaches make the state an ultimate tourism destination. There are more opportunities for the religious tourism, medical tourism, heritage tourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism, etc. The holiest dham Puri has been attracting tourists from within and outside India. Tourist are attracted not only for the religious purpose, but also for its culture, art and temple architecture. There are thousands of temples in the state. There are Buddhist monuments in Dhauli, Udayagiri, Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, Pushpagiri etc. Udalgiri and Khandagiri are known for the Jain monuments. There are also renowned forts at Barabati, Raibania, Sisupalgarh, Chudanga, etc.

Odisha is also well known for its flora and fauna. Chilka, Kanjia and Anshupa lakes are quite familiar for their natural beautity. There are many waterfalls at places, like Badaghagara, Barehipani, Duduma waterfalls, and Joranda. The hot springs at Atri, Deulajhari, Taptapani and Tarabalo too attract tourists. Apart from its natural beauty and craftsmanship the culture of the local people also attracts the tourists. The state has more opportunities in rural tourism for the diversified social customs, rural life, culture and heritage of the villages. It will be a benefit to the local communities socially and economically if they are utilised.

There are also more opportunities for sports tourism in the state. The Government has organized various national and international sports events in the last five years. Hockey World Cup in 2018 was the mega event, which attracted thousands of tourists to the state. The National Parks and mountains in Odisha have the biodiversity. Adventure tourism can be increased because Odisha is enriched with its dense forests, rivers, waterfalls and lush green natural surroundings. There are scope for adventure tourisms in the national parks or sanctuaries, like the Simlipal National Park, Baripada; Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Cuttack; Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Angul; Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Puri, and Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, Koraput. Chilka is the largest brackish water lake in Asia and it is renowned for its migratory birds and dolphins.

There is more possibility for the growth of eco-tourism. It can provide alternative employment opportunities to the local people. The state has many islands, like as Becon Island, Breakfast Island, Somolo and Dumkudi islands, which are perfect places for eco-tourism. Odisha has a long coastline and renowned for its beaches, like Puri, Talasari, Gahirmatha, Chandipur, Chandrabhaga etc. There are many museums, like Odisha State Museum, Regional Museum of Natural History, Tribal Research Institute Museum, Odisha Crafts Museum etc., which fascinate the visitors. Odisha Tourism Development Corporation is endorsing tourism in the state and running tourist transportation fleets and bungalows. The Odisha Forest Development Corporation manages Eco-tourism destinations in the state.

Many places of the state are still unnoticed, unseen, and unexplored. Therefore, the new tag line of Odisha tourism is ‘India’s best kept secret.’ The state has 500 km. of a long coastal line and if the long cherished coastal highways if realised it can be a major contributor for promotion of tourism. It will be useful to attract more tourists to its stunning coastal view, seaside villages and well-connected tourist places like, Talsari, Chandipur, Chilka, Puri, and Konark. Rail and air connectivity are more important for promotion of tourism. Odisha is well connected with others states of the country by road, train and air. Bhubaneswar is a mega-junction for connectivity.

Bhitarakanika and Chilka are the two most amazing wildlife tourism hotspots in Odisha. Due to their respective individual beauty, both these places can be the stand-alone destinations. Due to the lack of infrastructure, none has seen the desired tourist inflow. There are more opportunities for development of wildlife tourism in Mangalajodi, Chilka and Bhitarakanika. Museums are a major attraction for tourists. There are more potentiality for development of the museum tourism in Odisha as the state has so many renowned museums, tribal museum, maritime museum etc. There are more opportunities for promotion of zoo tourism too. Nandan Kanan can be useful for such tourism. There are more opportunities for development of experiential tourism places like Pahala, Pipli, Raghuraipur etc. are suitable for such tourism. There will be more possibility of attracting tourists to Puri after completion of the Shamuka, ABHADA scheme and Srimandir Parikrama Yojana.

Challenges before the Tourism in Odisha

There is a large scope of growth of tourism in Odisha. However, except Puri, Bhubaneshwar and Konark, other tourist spots cannot attract sizable number of tourists, as many factors are responsible for it. Growth of tourism depends on not only the beauty of the tourist spots, but also on their well connectivity. The connectivity is still a problem that exists in the state. For example, there are ten districts in the state, which have no rail connectivity (https://ct.odisha.gov.in/transport/railway). There are also shortages of hotels of international standard. Although Oriyas are more renowned for their hospitality, at times cases of harassment in religious places cannot be overlooked. Besides, incidences of extortion, robbery, exploitation and manhandling of the tourists in tourist spots are frequently reported. Such types of cases badly affect the image of the state.

There are issues of environmental degradation in tourist places. Garbage and hordes of polythene bags are in rampart use in many tourist places. Parking fee and entry fees are collected in the tourist spots, but enough attention is not given on the cleanliness of these places. However, Public-Private Partnership venture in tourism sector can be useful, but such a venture is absent. There are also lack of safety and medical facilities in the many tourist spots.

Conclusion

Odisha is a prime tourist destination in India. The number of domestic and international tourists are in rise in Odisha because for its natural beauty, culture, architecture, monuments and festivals. Puri has the largest share of domestic as well as foreign tourists in the state. Besides, Khordha, Balasore and Cuttack districts have the maximum share of tourists visiting to Odisha. West Bengal contributes the highest percentage of domestic tourism other than Odisha itself. Referring to table 5 and different Statistical Bulletin, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha it is observed that maximum number of foreign tourists are from Western Europe, East Asia and North American countries. There is a positive relationship between the tourist inflow and the Gross Domestic Product of the state.

Odisha tourism industry is rising promptly more than the earlier years. As a maritime state, Odisha has enormous prospects for developing tourism as a major sector of the economy. It has more prospects of religious tourism, medical tourism, education tourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism, sports tourism, educational tourism, and heritage tourism. This sector has more potential for increasing income, reducing unemployment, and improving the standard of living of the poor. Transportation, hotels, food, shopping, entertainment etc. industries are also being benefit from this sector. Shortage of transportation facilities, infrastructure safety and security are the basic challenges before it. The Govt. of Odisha is also running various projects for the development of this sector. There should be an earnest initiative for better enactment of laws for the safety of the travellers, allowing more contribution for private sector and other innovative ideas for attracting more and more tourists. Hence, it is concluded that the growth and prospects of Odisha tourism is certainly bright.

The Govt. of Odisha under the stewardship of the present Chief Minister is rigorously working to the development of tourism sector in its all manifestations to attract more and more visitors from home and abroad at present ABHADA Yojana, Ekamra Yojana, Samaleswari Yojana and also creating some new eco retreat centres in different places of Odisha are some of the examples. One should be optimistic, it would certainly increase the creation of jobs, enhanced business opportunities, development of the basic infrastructure around the places contributing to the weaker section of the state in particular and to the GDP in general.

Source of Funding

None.

Conflict of Interest

None.