Preparation of Tourism Development Plan for Koraput District

Abstract

This article examines the 13 tourist destinations in Koraput, connecting them by the development of a tourism circuit and infrastructure. The district, which is otherwise thought of as a picturesque place located amidst hills, forests, waterfalls, and streams, has poor tourist foot traffic as a result of inadequate basic infrastructure and marketing of the travel destinations. However, the place fails to draw tourists due to the lack of facilities such as drinking water, toilets, accommodation, amusement, or security. The quality of the roads leading to popular tourist spots like Gupteswar, the Gulumi and Duduma waterfalls, the state\'s highest mountain Deomali, and the little hilltop settlement Maliguda shows how little effort has been put into promoting tourism in Koraput. In contrast, Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh is a tourist destination. Also, there has been an increase in the inflow of foreign tourists from 1,169 in 2015-16 to 1,500 in 2016-17, It shows that although there are no proper services available, still tourist footfall is increasing, but these numbers can be increased if these centres would be developed properly having all necessary services available for tourist.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

The Indian government has included Koraput in its Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, aiming to transform the district into a sustainable tourist destination This plan will focus on infrastructure improvements, responsible tourism practices, and capacity building for local stakeholders to create a thriving tourism industry in Koraput.

A. Why this Study

The creation of a tourism route in Koraput is extremely important for the because of -

1. Untapped Beauty and Culture: Koraput, which is tucked away in Odisha's Eastern Ghats, is home to beautiful hills, luscious vegetation, and a vibrant tribal culture. Its potential has been restricted by the lack of adequate tourism infrastructure, even with its historical value and natural beauty.
2. Department of tourism: They have listed out 9 priority circuits in Odisha where, Deomali-Gupteswar-Sunabeda of Koraput district is one of them. (Annual report 19-20)
3. Development of Tourism related activities at Duduma under Lamtaput Block in Koraput District. (Annual report 20-21).
4. Swadesh Darshan Scheme : The Ministry of Tourism launched the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme with the goal of creating environmentally conscious and sustainable tourism destinations. Odisha is one of the fifteen states chosen for this initiative. This plan, in contrast to theme-based circuits, emphasizes comprehensive destination management.

B. Aim the Study

To prepare tourism development plan for Koraput district.

C. Objectives of the Study

1. To identify the parameters affecting the tourism development
2. To assess the current tourism status of the parameters identified earlier
3. To develop tourism plan which includes tourism circuit and infrastructure development

D. Scope and Limitations

1. Koraput have tourist destination places and it has a great potential of getting large number of footfalls.
2. The study will involve spatial analysis.
3. The study will not cover the economic aspects, financial and implementation mechanism.

E. Expected Outcomes

The outcomes are that, all these 13 identified tourist centres will be connected with tourist circuit and also these places will have enough number of accommodations, public toilet, drinking water and security facilities, so that it will help the tourist to spend more quality time here, and also, it will help to generate revenue out of these footfalls.

II. STUDY AREA

Koraput district located on the backdrop of green valleys contemplating immaculate freshness was established on 1st April 1936.  It has a total of 2 subdivisions, 14 blocks, 24 Police Stations and 240 Panchayats. Present day Koraput has Odisha’s highest peak at Deomali (1672 m). Koraput district is located between 18 degree 13' and 19 degree 10' North Latitudes and 82 degree 5' and 83 degree 23' East Longitudes. On 1.10.1992, the District of koraput was divided into four Districts–present Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Nowarangpur. The district headquarters of the Koraput district is in the southern part of Odisha, India. It is located at an average elevation of 2,850 feet (870 meters) amidst hilly terrain. The Eastern Ghats Mountain range runs through the district, making for a picturesque setting. Duduma Waterfalls: These waterfalls are some of the highest in Odisha and offer stunning views of the surrounding area. The physiographic configuration of the entire Koraput district is distinct. With the exception of the northwestern and west-west central regions, the area is mostly covered in deep forest with incredibly Rocky Mountains dotted with intermontane valleys. With a peak elevation of 1620 meters above mean sea level, the steep landscape is elevated between 900 and 1400 millimeters above mean sea level. The district experiences scorching summers, chilly winters, and rainy seasons due to its tropical environment. Typically, the winter season starts in late November and lasts until the end of February. In winter, the temperature in locations like Pottangi goes to 1°C; in the valley plains, it ranges from 10°C to 13.5°C. The summer season starts in March and lasts until the middle of June. With an average daily high temperature of about 40°C and an average daily low temperature of about 14°C, summertime here is fairly nice.

Conclusion

This study suggests that, although there is lack of infrastructure in Koraput, but yet there are many scopes and demand for tourism in Koraput, according to the primary and secondary data, it is inferred that the current tourism status demands for better infrastructures and facility and the major tourist influx happened due to domestic tourist and majority were the family members, friends and relatives visiting this place, and it needs to be focused to attract more foreign tourist by promoting and marketing of these places by developing them in a better way, so that it can come into the eyes of foreign tourists.

References

[1] Statistics & Research | Department of Tourism (odisha.gov.in) [2] (PDF) Role of Tourism in Economic Development: A Case Study of Koraput District of Odisha of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) (researchgate.net) [3] Neglect trips tourist flow in Koraput - Telegraph India [4] Annual Report 2022-23_1.pdf (odisha.gov.in) [5] India - Census of India 2011 - Odisha - Series 22 - Part XII B - District Census Handbook, Koraput (censusindia.gov.in) [6] GEO PORTAL OF KORAPUT (gisodisha.nic.in) [7] District at a Glance | Koraput District, Government of Odisha | India [8] Koraput In for Facelift as Tourist Spot, ET TravelWorld News, ET TravelWorld (indiatimes.com) [9] Koraput District, Government of Odisha | Koraput Heaven\'s Own | India [10] 0rissa.pdf (tourism.gov.in) [11] Eo.nac.koraput@gmail.com

Copyright

Copyright © 2024 Shiv Prasad Behera, Mr. Bhabani Shankar Sa, Ms. Shreeparna Sahoo. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.