Odisha Tourism’s Eco Village Initiative To Boost Rural Economy

Bhubaneswar: After the tremendous success of ‘Eco Retreat’, Odisha Tourism has come up with another initiative that aims to boost the rural economy and create livelihood. Now it’s time for ‘Eco Village’ to showcase Odisha’s diversified virgin natural beauty to attract tourists from across the globe. The Odisha Government is banking upon eco tourism in rural areas in a big way to bring back the rural economy on track again during the difficult time of pandemic.

The Odisha Government has rolled out the Community Driven Tourism Initiative which is christened as ‘Eco Village’ with the active and direct participation of local villagers. The ‘Eco Village’ set up in Baliput village located at Tikarapara by Government initiatives is one such village situated on the banks of River Mahanadi, and adjoining the Satkosia gorge which is expected to attract large number of tourists from different places.

As many as seven tents will be erected which will have 27 rooms and equipped with facilities like mini conference hall and a dormitory. The standout thing is it will be managed by the villagers. The prices have been kept low so that middle and lower middle income people can also afford the facilities at the ‘Eco Village’. Concepts like ‘Day Tourism’ and ‘Science Park’ will also be developed in the Baliput Eco Village to mesmerize the tourists.

With the active participation of local youth, it will not only create job opportunities and livelihood support, but also boost the rural economy. Besides, it will also help in protecting the reserve forest. The Eco Village spot is likely to generate considerable revenue for the villagers and they will gradually become less dependent on forest products for earning their livelihood, said a villager. Tour operators have also welcomed the Government’s ‘Eco Village’ initiative saying it will attract tourists not only from the state but also from various parts of the country.