BHUBANESWAR: While tourism is often resource intensive, it is a major driver of poverty reduction in developing countries. For instance, the tourism potential of India in general and Odisha in particular, is immense. From Khandadhar waterfalls in Sundargarh to Lingaraj temple in the capital city of Bhubaneswar, the state has a lot to offer to tourism enthusiasts.
Orissa Post shares the story of two youths who have devoted their entire life for popularising the state’s tourism potential.
19-year-old Sourav Swapnil Dutta, a resident of Sisupalgarh, can be described as an ideal travel freak. Since his childhood, he used to travel various places of the country along with his parents. Once, he visited an Eco-Tourism project site at Satkoshia and Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation at Shimla. This visit inspired him to start his own tourism office in the city.
The office is managed by his father and my family members. They are also the ones who gave him moral support and guidance for his pursuit. He has already organised two Eco-Tourism camps during last December and January this year at the foot of Mahendra Giri, the second highest peak of the state.
The two-day programme contained a night’s halt in a tent at the peak along with visits to other important places like Taptapani, Jiranga Buddhist monastery and Mahendragada among others. In the camp, visitors enjoyed bonfire, musical activity, hiking and stargazing among others.
His penchant for travelling also makes him a bike lover. Constantly motivated to discover tourist spots in the state, he has recently discovered two new places in Cuttack district. Interacting with Orissa Post Dutta said, “My heart is content whenever I travel to new places. I always make it a point to visit every uncharted place myself. Only then do I organise youth hikes or solo tours depending on the demand.”
Avinash Patnaik, another young traveller, loves to visit every nook and corner of the state as well as country. His FB page called Traveller was an instant hit with young masses whom he inspires with his exotic travel stories as well as the delicacies that he gets to eat during his travel.
Patnaik’s father was an Air-force officer and his transfers often inspired Avinash to explore new places. He said, “As a kid, I got rare opportunities to travel as my family had settled in Bhubaneswar. My father always insisted on me being independent and encouraged me to travel alone and explore the world.”
“Since 2004, I started travelling alone for appearing entrance examinations. These travels made me more confident and created a sense of discipline in my psyche. It was during this time that I planned my first solo trip to Hyderabad, Mumbai and Shirdi (2012). Once I was posted as an extension officer, I started exploring the state more often.”
Though he often travels along with his bikers group, solo trips is what he prefers. He has travelled to Gopalpur, Tapatapani and Jeerang on an Activa scooter. He went to Madhya Pradesh and Vizag in 2016. The very next year, he explored Andaman & Nicobar for six days. He said that travelling enables us to make new friends and come across new tradition and food. I believe it’s necessary for a travel enthusiast to be more adaptable to every situation.