Destination Tourism and Environmental Sustainability: A Critical Review on Tourism Sector of Odisha, India

Madhab Chandra Jena

Abstract: Tourism has emerged as a significant driver of economic development, employment generation, and cultural exchange; however, its rapid expansion has also raised concerns regarding environmental sustainability. Odisha, located on the eastern coast of India, possesses a diverse range of tourism resources, including coastal ecosystems, wetlands, wildlife habitats, heritage monuments, religious destinations, and tribal cultural landscapes. While tourism contributes substantially to regional development, increasing visitor pressure, resource consumption, waste generation, biodiversity disturbance, and climate-related risks pose significant challenges to sustainable destination management. This review critically examines the relationship between tourism development and environmental sustainability in Odisha through a synthesis of academic literature, government reports, policy documents, and sustainability studies. The review evaluates major environmental challenges associated with tourism activities, including ecosystem degradation, pollution, water resource stress, energy consumption, carbon emissions, and climate vulnerability. It further explores opportunities for sustainable tourism through community-based ecotourism, renewable energy adoption, sustainable waste management, responsible tourist behavior, technological innovation, and effective governance mechanisms. The findings indicate that achieving long-term tourism sustainability in Odisha requires integrated planning, environmental monitoring, stakeholder participation, and stronger policy implementation. Community engagement, climate-resilient infrastructure, resource conservation, and environmentally responsible tourism practices are identified as key enablers of sustainable destination development. The review concludes that Odisha possesses considerable potential to emerge as a leading sustainable tourism destination in India if tourism growth is aligned with environmental conservation and inclusive governance principles.

Keywords: Sustainable tourism, Environmental sustainability, Odisha tourism, Ecotourism, Community participation, Destination management, Climate resilience, Tourism governance