Bhubaneswar, Sept. 25: The Centre would grant more funds for the development of the Buddhist, coastal and religious circuits in the state, Union tourism and culture minister Mahesh Sharma said at the 50th annual convention of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations' of India that started at a hotel in the city today.

"The Union government will focus on Odisha's tourism circuits and grant funds for the development of these areas," Sharma said.

The state, which is hosting the grand get together of stakeholders of the hospitality industry from all over the globe, got its share of attention as the Union minister promised to see if more flights could be introduced from here.

"The civil aviation ministry will conduct a feasibility study to see if more flights can be introduced in future to link Odisha with other major tourism destinations such as Kerala, Goa and Rajasthan," the minister, who also holds the aviation portfolio, said when hoteliers and tour operators demanded for more air connectivity.

On the occasion of World Tourism Day on Sunday, the Centre is going to lay the foundation stone of a national tourism centre in New Delhi. All state governments will be provided space to open their tourism offices there. Foreign nationals visiting this centre will be able to know about the states. Also, a national medical tourism and wellness board will be set up on the same day. The idea is to make India a major medical tourism and wellness destination with focus on yoga, said Sharma.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who inaugurated the event, said Odisha offered the unique combination of old world charm and modern glamour and the major hoteliers could take the help of state's new industrial and tourism policy to start their ventures here.

"The tourism industry is an excellent employment multiplier. Tourism is capable of becoming the flagship of the state's economy," Naveen said.

Association president T.S. Walia spoke about how excess tax burden was affecting the hospitality sector.

"We have given proposals regarding this to the Union tourism minister and hope to get due attention in future," he said.

Various delegates from the hospitality sector, including veteran hoteliers, diplomats and tourism ministry officials, highlighted the concerns of the industry. Service tax in the hospitality sector in India comes to 22 per cent, while it is zero in Hong Kong and six to eight per cent in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, a hotelier said. The tourism sector is growing at 10.2 per cent in India and efforts are being made to increase the tourist inflow.

"India has only 60,000 star hotel rooms. But to increase the inflow to seven million tourists in five years, we need to have 1.8 lakh more rooms," said Vivek Nair, CMD of the Leela Group of Hotels.

A unique three-dimensional map showcasing important tourist destinations of the state was unveiled today at Biju Patnaik International Airport by tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda.

The 3D map features major destinations such as the Jagannath temple of Puri, Konark, Dhauli, Mukteshwar Temple, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, hill stations, beaches and backwaters.