The Tourism Department, Govt. of Odisha on January 19, 2026, issued the Odisha Tourism (Amendment) Policy, 2026, to further amend the Odisha Tourism Policy, 2022.
The following has been stated:
• The amended policy aims to position Odisha among the top tourism destinations in Asia for eco and cultural tourism in alignment with Vision 2047. It introduces expanded objectives such as achieving 5 crore domestic tourists and 7 lakh foreign tourists annually by 2047, increasing tourist stay duration, creating 25 lakh tourism-related jobs, and expanding high-quality accommodation infrastructure across the state.
• The amendment broadens the definition and scope of tourism units, covering hotels, resorts, wellness centres, eco-resorts, adventure tourism projects, caravan parks, water-based tourism, heritage properties, museums, theme parks, cruise tourism, and Odia cuisine restaurants. It also clarifies eligibility criteria, minimum investment requirements, and infrastructure standards for different tourism projects.
• A major feature of the amendment is the enhanced investment incentives, including Capital Investment Subsidy (CIS) of up to 30% of eligible capital investment, with higher incentives for projects owned by women, SC/ST entrepreneurs, differently-abled persons, and projects located in special tourism zones such as KBK districts, Chilika, Hirakud, Similipal, Bhitarkanika and other notified areas. Special incentives are also introduced for electric boats, caravans, and art-and-craft theme complexes.
• The policy further provides CAPEX and OPEX incentives for restaurants promoting authentic Odia cuisine, including reimbursement of electricity charges and support for expansion in major Indian cities and tourist destinations.
• The amended policy also promotes new tourism segments such as caravan tourism, inland river cruises, water-based tourism, wellness tourism, and adventure tourism. It encourages development of tourism infrastructure like caravan parks, marinas, ropeways, houseboats, boat clubs, and tented accommodation.
• Additional incentives are provided to promote MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) and destination weddings, especially during the off-season period to boost hotel occupancy.
• Further, the policy strengthens institutional and administrative mechanisms by establishing bodies such as the State Tourism Promotion Council (STPC) and State Tourism Advisory Council (STAC) to guide tourism development, review policy implementation, and promote collaboration between government and industry. It also introduces a structured procedure for registration, approval, and disbursement of incentives to tourism projects to ensure transparency and efficient implementation.
[Notification no. - 2154─TCT-RC-MISC-0008/2022/TSM]
