Bhubaneswar: Odisha should position itself as a “21-night tourism destination” by developing integrated circuits, strengthening connectivity and expanding hospitality infrastructure, said J K Mohanty, chairman of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha, at the 7th Odisha Tourism Conclave here on Friday.The conclave was attended by deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, chief secretary Anu Garg and others.Mohanty said the state must move beyond short-duration pilgrim visits and promote seven-, 14- and 21-night itineraries covering spirituality, heritage, wildlife, beaches, culture, cuisine, wellness and adventure. Longer stays, he said, would improve hotel occupancy, increase visitor spending and create more employment opportunities.Citing ministry of tourism data, Mohanty said India recorded footfall of 428.55 crore domestic and 2.53 crore foreign tourists in 2025. “Of them, Odisha received 1.28 crore domestic visitors and only 62,115 foreigners. The figures reflected a wide gap between the state’s tourism potential and actual footfall,” he said.Welcoming the state govt’s tourism policy initiatives and its target of adding about 15,000 hotel rooms, Mohanty said the expansion could generate demand for nearly 45,000 skilled hospitality workers. He urged the govt to expand hotel management institutes, strengthen industry-academia partnerships and consider a 70% fee subsidy for students pursuing hospitality education.He said Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark Golden Triangle should remain the backbone of Odisha’s tourism sector, supported by circuits covering Chilika, Bhitarkanika, Similipal, Satkosia, Debrigarh, Hirakud, Koraput and Deomali. He also called for quality accommodation, reliable transport, trained guides, multilingual signage and better visitor facilities to encourage longer stays.Describing connectivity as one of the state’s biggest constraints, Mohanty sought stronger domestic air links from Bhubaneswar and the restoration of discontinued flights to cities such as Jaipur, Indore, Goa and Kochi. He also called for direct international flights to Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.Mohanty proposed the formation of a govt-industry task force to prepare a five-year action plan focusing on investment, connectivity, destination development and global promotion.