It has now become pertinent to have an ecological, long-term approach to tourism planning in conjunction with conservation of nature. This approach is taken by the Tourism Department, Government of Orissa, by spreading the eco-tourism drive. This paper narrows down the eco-tourism necessity to the development of wetlands and exemplifies with the initiatives taken by the state of Orissa. The current objective of the Government is to put Orissa on the World Tourism Map as a favored tourist destination. Based on extensive information about tourism from other parts of India, it has been found that newer destinations are attracting more tourists and newer areas of tourism such as backwater tourism, aqua tourism, ayurvedic tourism, adventure tourism and eco-tourism are emerging as the popular ones among the tourists. Planned development of tourist destination compounds integrated development, which holds the key to attract tourists by providing them their desired facilities in a desired way. The development of eco-tourism in the areas of Bhitarkanika and Chilika by the Tourism Department Government of Orissa, can be summarized with their objectives, i.e. to provide suitable means to control the future growth of the tourism destination in a coordinated manner. This can be done by addressing the necessary local civic aesthetics to the tourist destination, a market potential study, resource mobilization, eco and environ conservation, infrastructural needs, proper land use, a blueprint to ensure integrated development of the area, development strategy for implementation, a marketing strategy for the destination to provide a basis for project conception and to attract investment for the same, with the overall objective to facilitate sustainable eco-tourism. Orissa Tourism needs to develop a master plan for eco-tourism destinations Bhitarkanika and Chilika, to ensure tourism with environmental protection and ecological conservation for a sustainable eco-friendly development of these destinations. The master plan needs to incorporate development and improvements keeping in mind the conservation of the area through eco-tourism, where the destination’s fragile ecology remains undisturbed. The traffic origin/destination study of destinations, tourism infrastructure and facilities that are naturally eco-amiable are also considered in this paper. This paper goes beyond this study to propose a concept plan to strategically develop tourism infrastructure at Bhitarkanika and Chilika on the theme of Wetlands, in line with Eco-Tourism.

In this new millennium, the world’s economic and social climate is expected to produce a strong potential in tourism over the next 20 years. While on one hand, increasing environmental awareness will affect planning policies and tourism destinations, on the other hand nature, which is the critical resource of tourism, will become more scarce and fragile. In the light of these above factors, an ecological, long-term approach to tourism planning, in coherence with conservation of nature, needs to be postulated. This is rightly understood by the Tourism Department, Government of Orissa, in their spreading of the eco-tourism drive. This paper narrows down the eco-tourism necessity in development of wetlands and exemplifies with the initiatives by the state of Orissa. Orissa, the land of Jagannath, is famous for its diverse geography, overwhelming greenery, virgin lands and vast forest cover.

The land is much acclaimed for it's depth of its ancient culture, rich traditions, arts and crafts and the welcoming nature of its people. However, the lack ofinfrastructure has been a bottleneck for Tourism in the state. The State Government has been relentlessly pursuing its task of aggressive marketing abroad, identifying and developing various attractive tourist destinations within the State. The objective of the Government now is to put Orissa on the World Tourism Map as a major tourist attraction.

Strategic Development of Wetlands, Eco-Tourism Perspective, World Tourism Map, Eco-tourism, Tourism Department Government of Orissa, Marketing strategy, Tourism industry, Tourism sector, Economic system, State Government Department of Tourism, Situational analysis, Sociological Study on Tourism.