{"id":50789,"date":"2025-06-22T18:35:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T18:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/?p=50789"},"modified":"2025-06-22T18:35:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T18:35:04","slug":"odisha-charts-a-new-chapter-in-rural-tourism-with-agro-tourism-workshop-for-agro-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/2025\/06\/22\/odisha-charts-a-new-chapter-in-rural-tourism-with-agro-tourism-workshop-for-agro-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"Odisha Charts a New Chapter in Rural Tourism with Agro-Tourism Workshop for Agro Entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s heartwarming to see the youth reconnecting with their roots\u2014celebrating our farm-fresh cuisine, our rural way of life. We need to leverage Odisha\u2019s agrarian heritage to build immersive tourism experiences that celebrate the land, people, and culture of the State. \u2013 Hon\u2019ble Deputy Chief Minister Smt. Pravati Parida.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAs someone who has worked as a farmer, I truly believe in the potential of organic farming. With the right knowledge and support, farmers can make the most of the MKUY guidelines and explore Agro-Tourism as a reliable source of secondary income.\u201d \u2013 Hon\u2019ble Deputy Chief Minister Shri. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bhubaneswar, 22\/6\/2025 ( Odisha Samachar \/ Rajat Mohapatra)- <\/strong>In a significant step towards redefining rural livelihood and tourism integration, the Department of Tourism<\/strong>, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment<\/strong>, Government of Odisha, organised a high-impact Workshop on Agro-Tourism<\/strong> today. The workshop brought together enthusiastic Agro-landowners, progressive farmers, policy makers, and domain experts to explore the immense potential of Agro-Tourism as a catalyst for rural economic transformation.\"\"<\/p>\n

The event was co-chaired by Hon\u2019ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Smt. Pravati Parida<\/strong> and Hon\u2019ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ EmpowermentShri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo<\/strong>, whose presence highlighted the government\u2019s integrated approach to rural development. Their addresses highlighted the vast potential of converging agriculture with tourism to promote supplementary income generation, rural pride, and sustainable enterprise models<\/strong> across Odisha. The leadership reaffirmed the State\u2019s commitment to empowering farmers and Agro-landowners through structured support, policy convergence, and on-ground implementation of agro-tourism initiatives.<\/p>\n

A Convergence of Policy, Practice and Potential<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"The workshop highlighted the State\u2019s focused efforts under the Vision 2036 framework<\/strong>, wherein 15 priority destinations<\/strong> have been identified for integrated development. In addition, the Department of Tourism is actively promoting the establishment of Agro-Tourism Units<\/strong>, which aim to offer curated rural experiences<\/strong>\u2014ranging from farm stays and traditional cuisine to nature trails, handicrafts, and hands-on agricultural engagement. These initiatives are designed to opennew income avenues for agro-landowners, self-help groups, and rural communities<\/strong>, fostering inclusive and sustainable rural enterprise.<\/p>\n

Officials from the Department of Tourism<\/strong> presented the roadmap for integrating agro tourism into Odisha\u2019s wider tourism circuit, while experts from Maharashtra and other leading States shared case studies and success models. Discussions also centred around investment facilitation<\/strong>, digital visibility, and support mechanisms through the Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY)<\/strong>, which provides capital subsidies, training, and employment-linked incentives to agro-tourism entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

Empowering Farmers as Experience Providers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Odisha is shaping a sustainable, community-driven agro-tourism model that places rural communities at the core\u2014defining the future of tourism in the state<\/strong> through inclusive growth and cultural preservation.The workshop served as a platform to empower Agro-landowners and farmers as key players in tourism development<\/strong>, enabling them to transform their farms into destinations of learning, leisure, and livelihood. Women-led initiatives, SHG involvement, and youth entrepreneurship in rural tourism were highlighted as integral to the State\u2019s inclusive growth agenda.The initiative aimed to seamlessly integrate tourism with the rural economy\u2014connecting with the hinterlands, celebrating local livelihoods, and promoting inclusive economic growth rooted in Odisha\u2019s agrarian strengths.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking on the occasion, senior officials reaffirmed the commitment to sustainable and community-driven tourism, stating that agro-tourism will diversify the tourism portfolio of Odisha and ensure local economic upliftment, cultural preservation, and rural pride.\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"As part of the experience-sharing segment, the workshop was enriched by the presence of two renowned voices in sustainable tourism\u2014Shri Pandurang Taware<\/strong> and Shri Jayram HR<\/strong>. Shri Taware, widely regarded as a pioneer of Agro-Tourism in India, shared insights from his extensive grassroots work in Maharashtra, demonstrating how farming can be transformed into immersive rural tourism experiences that generate sustainable income and preserve cultural identity. Shri Jayram HR brought in valuable perspectives on responsible and community-driven tourism<\/strong>, highlighting real-world models where rural enterprises thrive through ecological stewardship, capacity building, and visitor engagement. Together, their contributions offered a practical roadmap for stakeholders in Odisha to envision a future where agriculture and tourism converge to empower local communities<\/strong>.The workshop concluded with an interactive session, where participants shared ideas and committed to pilot projects across select districts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s heartwarming to see the youth reconnecting with their roots\u2014celebrating our farm-fresh cuisine, our rural way of life. We need to leverage Odisha\u2019s agrarian heritage to build immersive tourism experiences that celebrate the land, people, and culture of the State. \u2013 Hon\u2019ble Deputy Chief Minister Smt. Pravati Parida. \u00a0\u201cAs someone who has worked as a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[41],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50789"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50789"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50795,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50789\/revisions\/50795"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}