Bhubaneswar, May 8: Keeping in mind the rising number of tourists heading this way — an aggressive “sell Orissa” campaign is on cards to woo more international and domestic travellers to the state.

As the first step of the campaign, state tourism minister Debi Prasad Mishra recently unveiled the plan for an interactive portal to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore to woo tourists. The portal, www.visitorissa.com, is expected to be fully operational by August 2008. The new website would offer a more comprehensive database of places to visit, and along with details of food, lodging and travel facilities.

The state would be collaborating with owners of private hotels and guesthouses and private tour operators for the particular portal.

The portal would be created by a private agency, Mishra added. But, state-owned Orissa Tourism Development Corporation would be acting as the main consultant with the agency.

Apart from the portal, a three-day national-level meet for tour operators will be held in August, for which the department has already contacted the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

Besides, a delegation from the state will visit Hyderabad in September for talks with the representatives of Pacific Asia Travellers’ Association. The pan-Asia body will be requested to make pre and post-conference trips to Orissa.

The state’s many beauties would be given leverage in programmes on BBC, National Geographic and the Discovery channels, added the minister. Plans are on to develop Nandan Kanan, Deras farm and Chandaka elephant sanctuary as international destinations. Ultimately, all these moves would boost employment and state revenue, the minister believed.

Every year there is a steady 10 per cent growth in the number of tourists (international and national) who head for destination Orissa. The government is now keen to strike while the iron is hot and achieve a growth target of 15 percent.

Domestic tourists are also trickling in with 50 lakh people visiting the state in 2007, where as 40,000 foreign tourists covered the state in the period.