Odisha Samachar Odisha Breaking News , Odisha Current News , Odisha News
Related Articles
Bhubaneswar, 30/09/2026 ( Odisha Samachar )- The two-day National Tourism Summit (NTS) 2026, organised by the Tour Operators Association of India (TOAI), concluded on Wednesday at Hotel Lemon Tree Premier, Bhubaneswar.
The summit, held on September 29 and 30, brought together tourism industry stakeholders to discuss sustainable destination development, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in travel, growth of high-value tourism and strengthening grassroots tourism trade networks.
The first day was inaugurated by Sudershan Das, Trustee of HDF and an activist from Bhubaneswar. Discussions focused on the evolving role of AI in travel planning and curation, alongside the continuing importance of human expertise and personalised travel experiences. Delegates also discussed ways to scale experiential tourism.
The summit adopted resolutions relating to sustainable destination management and greater cross-regional B2B collaboration among tourism stakeholders.
On the second day, Peerzada Faiyaz Ahmed, National Advisor, TOAI, delivered a keynote on eco-conscious and sustainable travel. The Director of the Odisha Tourism Board also addressed the gathering on state-level tourism engagement and development.
TOAI President Abdul Nazir M.M. announced new State and Zonal Coordinators during the summit. Other senior TOAI representatives attending the event included Hiren Shah, Chairman, Advisory Board; Priyanka Gaikwad, Secretary; Riza Fathima, Chairperson; Seema Bhutada, Chairperson, Women Empowerment Committee (WEC); M. Anish Kumar, Kerala State Chapter President; and Mustaq Hosen Sharif, Odisha State Coordinator.
Dr. Rina Rautray, columnist, author, social thinker and public intellectual, was the chief guest on the second day.
The summit concluded with the TOAI Awards Ceremony and a special showcase by the Women Executive Committee, highlighting the role of women in the tourism industry.
The discussions at NTS 2026 emphasised the need to combine technology and human expertise while promoting responsible, sustainable and experience-oriented tourism across India.
TOAI thanked the Odisha Tourism Department for providing all kinds of support for this programme
