BHUBANESWAR: Mandarins in the State are coming to realise to hospitality concept the hard way to draw more tourists. ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ has become the new mantra to sell incredible Orissa. The State Government has started working upon the concept aimed at creating awareness about sensitising people on preservation of heritage and culture, cleanliness and, not the least warm hospitality. Two videos were recently shot at Konark and Puri meant to re-instill a sense of responsibility towards tourists and reinforce the confidence of foreign tourists towards Orissa as a preferred holiday destination. Actor-turned politician Sidhant Mohapatra has been roped in for the purpose and in the soon-to-be released videos on TV and other social forums, he will be seen sensitising key stakeholders on tourists. Sources said the shooting has been outsourced to a local television channel and five more similar videos have been lined up. Besides Oriya TV channels, the videos would be shown in movie halls to spread awareness among the youths. Kuna Dash, president of the India-Japan Friendship Club, Puri, that coordinated in shooting of the videos, said harassment of foreign tourists has become a common affair in places like Puri and Konark and steps like these can address such issues to a great extent. Describing the ads as ‘refreshingly different’, he said the two ads are woven around the various kinds of frauds and theft that happen with foreign tourists in the State at the hands of local vendors and those associated with tour and travel industry. Recently, State Tourism Minister Prafulla Samal had announced steps to train drivers, guides and vendors in popular tourist destinations to develop a tourist-friendly attitude. “While infrastructure development for tourism projects is being given priority, safety and security figures top on the tourism agenda,” he said. The decision for the ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ campaign was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik last year in the backdrop of the molestation of a British woman at the State-run Yatri Nivas at Konark. “The concept is a symbolic representation of India’s age old hospitality and with this campaign, we are trying to re-install in stakeholders a sense of pride and responsibility towards tourists, while positioning Orissa as a popular tourist destination,” said a higher official in the Tourism department.
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