Bhubaneswar, June 1: The state tourism department has started talks with Sri Lankan Airlines to link its Colombo-Bodh Gaya flight to Biju Patnaik International Airport.

The department wants the flight to touch Bhubaneswar on its way back to Colombo with a view to increase the tourism potentials of the state’s Buddhist circuit.

With the private tour operators promising support, the new plan would open up Buddist sites in Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Puri districts to more tourists.

The move aims to boost the tourism sector with new packages.

The tourism budget is also getting bigger to cover major expenditures. A tourism department official said while the last year’s budgetary provision was Rs 80 crore, it had touched Rs 135 crore this time.

Innovations such as introduction of hovercraft from the Chandrabhaga beach near Konark to Puri could also work as a major crowd-puller.

A similar service has already become a hit in the west coast with Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat reaping its benefits.

Emphasising involvement of more private players in building tourism infrastructure and developing new destinations, tourism director Manoranjan Patnaik said: “Last year after announcement of the new tourism policy, as many as 68 new proposals, almost all for hotels, were submitted to the state government. However, there were a few plans on eco-tourism destinations, which are highly sought-after by nature and fun-loving tourists.”

He has also hinted at the Centre-sponsored rural tourism hub development programme at Sadeibarini in Dhenkanal district — which is a major producer of dokra art objects.

“The programme will include projection on making of the art as well as lifestyle of the artists behind it, so that tourists from other states and abroad can have an overall idea about the dokra art,” Patnaik said.

Tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda said the age-old Indian philosophy of Atithi debo bhaba (guest is God) should be translated into work by all the stakeholders, including the citizens, officials, shrine workers, priests and tour operators.

Addressing a felicitation ceremony, organised by the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Odisha, Panda, who became the new tourism and culture minister, said circuit development, including the one as an international Buddhist circuit, had become a major target of the state government.

“We have already initiated steps to link the city’s international airport with the international low-cost carriers. The city airport was established by the Allied Forces to serve as an airbase to attack the Japanese air force. But, its international operations are still there to open up, despite two international charter flights,” he said.

He also advised the hotel and restaurant owners to increase their base to the new circuits and promote lesser-known destinations in central and tribal-dominated districts of the state.

The tourism and culture minister emphasised cleaner environment, especially in places such as Puri, with better sewerage and beach-cleaning programmes.

“We are going to introduce a beach-cleaning machine to be used in Puri on June 7. On other major beaches at Gopalpur and Chandipur, similar cleanliness drives should also be ensured,” he said.

Hinting at the preparedness for the Nabakalebar of the Trinity in 2015, the minister told office-bearers of the association that Puri should welcome its tourists with at least 100 new hotels.

There is a plan to develop state-of-the-art temporary accommodation for 3,000 families, while the Puri-Bhubaneswar corridor will be decked with amenities and village-based art and craft development activities.

Chairman of the association J.K. Mohanty said that to promote eco and forest tourism without affecting the wildlife or environment, the forest department should handover all its guest accommodation to the Odisha Forest Development Corporation, which may collaborate with the tourism department.

Mohanty said the Samuka Beach Project that had been lying in neglect for over half-a-decade must see the light of the day at the earliest.