OYO, a participant in the ongoing 'Make in Odisha Conclave 2018' enjoys a strong presence in the state with presence in cities including Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela and Jharsugda. It had recently inked a MoU with Odisha Tourism Development Corporation ahead of the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, said an official of the hotel chain.

OYO HOTELS Tuesday announced their expansion plans for Odisha to double their footprint in the state by raising the total count of hotels to 400 from over 190 at present in the next one year. The company said their expansion plan is likely to generate over 6,000 direct and indirect jobs in the next five years. OYO, a participant in the ongoing 'Make in Odisha Conclave 2018' enjoys a strong presence in the state with presence in cities including Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Rourkela and Jharsugda. It had recently inked a MoU with Odisha Tourism Development Corporation ahead of the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, said an official of the hotel chain. The MoU is a part of OYO's commitment to Odisha where it will add to its hotels and homestays to accommodate visitors from around the world during the World Cup, he said. Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO, said, "Odisha is at the cusp of emerging as the most preferred choice for investors, entrepreneurs and tourists alike. The government has introduced progressive tourism policies and the sector is also among the focus sectors for Odisha and we are glad to contribute to it in the OYO way".

Since its launch in Odisha in August 2015, OYO has partnered with small and independent hotel owners and utilized its expertise in standardizing amenities and guest experiences to empower them as better hospitality players, he said.

"In the coming year we aim at strengthening these partnerships and supporting Odisha's vision while continuously creating and delivering outstanding opportunities for business growth, fostering all round socio-economic development for the state and its people. We see this as a progressive move. Being a native of the state, it gives me immense joy that OYO Hotels is a contributor in the state's journey towards development," he said. The hotel chain is looking at adding new cities like Sambalpur, Berhampur, Angul, Gopalpur, Satpada to cater to a larger audience coming to Odisha for leisure and business purposes, Agarwal said. Currently, hubs like Shaheed Nagar, Railway Station and Patia in Bhubaneswar are the top-performing locations for OYO receiving the highest footfall of travellers. Puri is another city that enjoys a strong demand from pilgrims. In the coming years, OYO is looking at increasing its footprint in Odisha and in this process creating thousands of job opportunities for the youth, he added.

(Sources: PTI & The Economic Times)