Argus News - Odisha Tourism Boom: Over 1 Crore Visitors in 2024-25

Bhubaneswar, Dec 6: Odisha has steadily transformed into one of the most preferred destinations for tourists in India, with visitor numbers showing remarkable growth over the past three years.

According to a written reply presented in the State Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, the state has witnessed a surge in both domestic and international arrivals.

In 2022-23, Odisha welcomed 86.24 lakh tourists. The following year, 2023-24, the figure surpassed one crore (1,00,14,175). In the current financial year 2024-25, the state has already recorded 1 crore 13.83 lakh visitors, underscoring Odisha’s growing appeal as a cultural and natural hotspot.

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Foreign tourist arrivals have also seen a sharp rise. Over the last five years, Odisha has hosted 1,33,161 international visitors. In 2020, the state recorded 10,206 foreign tourists, while 2021 saw a dip to just 2,269 due to pandemic restrictions. Numbers rebounded in 2022 with 22,172 arrivals, followed by 45,173 in 2023. In 2024, the figure climbed further to 53,392.

Japan tops the list of foreign arrivals with 4,423 visitors, followed by Italy (3,830), Germany (3,722), the UK (3,715), and France (3,008).

While tourism flourishes, challenges remain in social infrastructure in the state. Odisha currently has 74,224 Anganwadi centres, but 20,150 of them lack their own buildings.

Of these, 3,890 centres operate from rented houses, 10,469 from community centres, and 4,574 from school premises. Deputy Chief Minister Parida highlighted these figures in the Assembly, stressing the need for improved facilities to support child welfare and nutrition programmes.