Tourists in Odisha took part in water sports on World Tourism Day

Tourists in Odisha took part in angling, kayaking and rafting in the Daya river near the Dhauli Peace Pagoda on the occasion of World Tourism Day. Apart from the other attractions at the popular tourist spot, visitors enjoyed the activities that were hosted by the state tourism department and Fluid Logic. The enthusiastic tourists braved the rain to participate in the adventure activities.
This has been reported in telegrahindia.com dated 28 September 2016.

As informed by the organizers, such outdoor activities will certainly appeal to tourists because these are fun filled and eco-friendly. These could become regular activities in Bhubaneswar.
The various events were related to accessible tourism which is the theme of this year's World Tourism Day. A group of differently-abled persons were taken on a tour of the Sun Temple at Konark and, indigenous tribal and folk dances of the state were held at Rabindra Mandap. A carnival was held in the morning from Master Canteen Square to Ekamra Haat - the focus was on the state's heritage sites and monuments, classical dance forms like Odissi and folk and tribal dances.
A food festival is also being held on the occasion which will have cuisines around the world including Mexican, Chinese and continental. The fest will go on till October 2 and several hotel institutes and restaurants have set up their kiosks.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Tourists locked out of Konark Sun Temple due to protest by locals

Tourists to the Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO Heritage site, were locked out and had to return disappointed because of agitation by locals over the increase in entry fees. The locals had made the temple off limits to thousands of tourists when a group of locals locked the monument's main gate to protest the recent hike in the prices of entry ticket.
This 13th century Sun Temple witnesses footfall of at least 5,000 tourists on any given day which increases to nearly double in peak seasons. Konark is a seaside location and attracts maximum tourists due to its close proximity to Bhubaneswar and Puri.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 7 May 2016.

It seems on April 2 the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had increased the entry fee to Konark temple from Rs 10 to Rs 30 for tourists from across India, the SAARC nations and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries. The price was doubled to Rs 500 for tourists from other countries.
Tourists and travel professionals have sought immediate intervention of the state government to resolve the crisis and the tour operators and travel agencies have urged the tourism department to discuss the matter with the top officials of the ASI.
An entry fee at the Sun Temple in Konark was first imposed in 1996 and was last revised in 2000 to Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 250 for foreigners.


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