Tourism Master Plan for Chilika on the anvil

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Aug 16: IPE Global, a global consulting firm, has been engaged to prepare a Tourism Master Plan for the Chilika Lake and its periphery in Odisha under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP).The project is funded by World Bank and implemented by the State Project Management Unit.Chilika Development Authority (CDA) is the project executing agency implementing the ICZMP in the State.The main objective is to develop an integrated tourism master plan for the Lake and its periphery for responsible and sustainable tourism in consonance with environmental and ecological regulations for conservation of wise use of natural resources, according to the CDA authorities.This also includes the preparation of project profiles for tourism investment opportunities for a maximum of 10 selected priority sites from the proposed tourism zones which could be promoted by the State government.CDA is organising an inception workshop in Bhubaneswar on August 18 to elicit inputs of diverse stakeholders and framing strategies for the master plan.Odisha Minister of Tourism and Culture Ashok Panda will inaugurate the workshop which is being organised in collaboration with IPE Global, New Delhi.Chilika has also been selected by United National World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) as one of the eight global sites for development of sustainable tourism to maintain its status as a destination for the migratory birds.