13 new eco tourism destinations in Odisha

Travel Alert: 13 new eco tourism destinations to be developed in Odisha

Odisha is the land of soaring peaks, dense forests, tall mountains, beautiful valleys, stunning waterfalls, and deep gorges, with a variety of flora and fauna living in their own natural habitats.

Nature lover tourists are looking to experience the wild landscapes of Odisha in a much more sustainable way.

From camping to lodging in eco-resorts, from beautiful trek locations to bird watching, from valley sightseeing to boating, Odisha has something for everyone. 

To promote eco tourism, the government of the state of Odisha has given a nod to developing 13 new eco tourism destinations.

Out of these 13 nature and eco tourism sites, ten sites will have night-stay lodging facilities, and three camps will be for day visitors. 

Local communities will also be involved in this new eco tourism project.

The government's idea behind this initiative is to provide the local communities of Odisha a chance to earn their livelihood as tourism will help them to set up local shops near these sites.

People from local communities will also be recruited to perform and manage day-to-day activities in the tourist sites set up by the authorities.

With this, the tourist will come to know about the local cuisines, their culture, traditional dresses, and how they’re surviving with such basic amenities.

Under the new project, new eco tourism cottages will be set up in:

1. Kotia and Deomali hilltop in Koraput

2. Jakam in Kalahandi

3. Nawana in Simlipal

4. Silviculture garden in Phulbani

5. Muhana Muhana (Astaranga) in Puri

6. Khadakhai dam in Rairangpur

7. Mahendragiri (Ganjam) in Berhampur, and 

8. Kanjipani Ghat and Hadagarh dam in Keonjhar forest division.

Here’s the Map for Eco tourism destinations in the state of Odisha.

Very soon, The government of Odisha is planning to take the total number of eco tourism sites to 63, adding the newly launched 13 sites.

A lot of effort has been put in and a lot of thought process has been put into developing by the authorities in order to boost tourism in the state thus boosting the state’s economy.

The state has recorded a growth rate in the tourism sector in the past couple of years and is keen for the success of these eco tourism destinations, where in the local as well as tourists from other parts of the country as well as foreign countries are now adding up to success.

These eco tourism destinations are constantly seeing a rise in the number of visitors. 

Last year, 2021-2022, saw the highest number of visitors visiting these eco-tourism destinations.

Download this PDF for more information about eco tourism in Odisha.