Choosing to abduct two foreign nationals, the Left-wing extremists may have dealt a body blow to Odisha’s limping tourism sector which never could match states like Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan.

While restriction on tribal tourism over “human safari” had created enough confusion in the minds of foreign tourists, the abduction of the Italians is all set to drive them away from the State. Given the manner in which a powerful block such as European Union (EU) reacts, an advisory to their travellers is not too far away.

In 2010, over 50,000 foreign tourists had arrived in the State, registering a 10 per cent increase over the previous year. However, tourism industry captains are apprehensive that the Maoist abduction could pour cold water on all the brand-building and campaigns that had been done to spur the sector.

Considering that it is for the first time that the Maoists have targeted foreigners - in Chhattisgarh, the extremists had only threatened Chinese nationals engaged with an industry - experts say the move was strategic to draw eyeballs of international community and get the Odisha Government to the negotiation table one more time.