Puri, a coastal city in Odisha, is also a tourist centre. Many here rely on tourism for a living. Puri is also a climate change hotspot and faces regular cyclones, floods, heat waves, and other natural disasters. These disasters affect the communities that live in these areas. The disasters also impact tourism, leading to massive instability for those working in this sector.

 

Apart from being the owner of Hotel Bensen and Hotel Puri Waves, Manas is also a representative of the Tourism and Hotel Association in the city. Manas has been associated with Spandan and its awareness programmes for a while now. 

 

Spandan is an NGO that works with the coastal communities of Odisha. The organisation’s goal is to reduce the impact of natural disasters on those in the tourism sector by working in a more structured and organised way. Manas has been closely associated with Spandan's initiatives on tourism, disaster management, and child safety-related issues. So far, he has attended all the programmes that Spandan has run. 

 

Manas has experienced that Spandan has successfully been able to bridge the communication gap between small shop owners and hoteliers through its innovative programmes. It has also taken a special effort to connect other tourism-related professionals such as photographers, local pearl necklace sellers, people from the lifeguard association, hotel workers and others. Its awareness programmes on child labour and child safety have also contributed to the tourist sites of Puri becoming safer spaces. 

 

Because Odisha is vulnerable to many natural disasters, the state government has an important role to play in safeguarding the livelihoods of those working in the tourism sector. Manas feels strongly that Spandan can be an effective medium between the government and the tourism and hotel associations. He shares that Spandan has the skills and knowledge to communicate these matters with the Government and get the necessary help. 

 

These changes to the tourism sector in Puri can not only strengthen tourism businesses but also provide tourists with a better travel experience.