Bhubaneswar: Now, here's something to cheer about! Odisha is one of the nominees for Best State for Tourism in the Outlook Traveller Awards 2018. It also features among the Best Beach Destination nominees as per its Annual Reader's Survey.

Odisha has made it to the Best Beach Destination nominees in our Annual Readers’ Survey. Every vote counts! Visit https://t.co/VNxzGjLLRu #OLTAwards @odisha_tourism pic.twitter.com/utaVIZlZII

— Outlook Traveller (@oltraveller) March 19, 2018

Odisha Tourism had been going all out to popularise Odisha as a tourist destination and the recent trip to Germany to participate in ITB Berlin 2018, world's leading travel trade show, was a step in that direction.

It had put up stalls on the themes heritage, wild life and eco tourism, ethnic tourism, with a special focus on Buddhist tourism.

Besides videos inviting people to explore the 'Paradise Unexplored' and listen to the call of the wild, Odisha Tourism had collaborated with two young travel enthusiasts for first-ever major profiling of waterfalls in the state.

">

It has also been promoting the tourism potential of the state on all platforms. Festivals of dance and music, showcasing the state's rich cultural heritage, are being organised every year to lure tourists. Chilika Bird Festival was the latest entrant, celebrating its biodiversity.

">

For the past two years, the state government has been promoting nature tourism with 35 such destinations with night camps at 21 places close to nature. With the ‘Stay in the Wild’ theme, the tourists enjoy trekking, birding, cycling and boating, folk dance/music, star gazing, bonfire and local cuisines, besides a game of football and volleyball.

Odisha recorded a footfall of foreign tourists with 84,658 visiting the state till November 2017. There was a surge in their number during the Asian Athletics Championships in July and World Hockey League in December last year.

According to data of national crime records bureau (NCRB), Odisha continues to be safe haven for foreign tourists. The data revealed that four cases of crime against foreign nationals were reported in Odisha between 2014 and 2016. The NCRB statistics said that there was no serious crime committed by the foreigners in Odisha during the period.