• Assam to have greater air connectivity
• 67 foreign delegates participated from 29 countries in the International Tourism Mart
• Officials emphasised on eco tourism and adventure tourism in Assam and the Northeast
• Assam saw 30,000 foreign tourists in 2016 and 1.38 lakh foreign tourists visited Northeast in 2016
• The Chief Minister said that the government is developing its heritage without affecting the state’s ecology
• One-to-one business sessions were held between international as well as domestic buyers and sellers during the ITM
The state is set to receive increased air connectivity domestically as well as internationally to aid in the development of its tourism sector. This was decided in the International Tourism Mart (ITM) which was held in Guwahati from December 5th to 8th Dec.
During the inauguration ceremony of the ITM, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism, K J Alphons assured that the central government will do whatever possible to increase the air connectivity of Assam and other north-eastern states.
“Assam is a beautiful state with a lot of untapped tourism potential. It has a rich cultural heritage and exquisite landscape. The state has a lot to offer from textiles, music to cuisines and wildlife. There is a need to market the tourism products of the northeast across the world,” said Alphons.
The event was inaugurated by the Governor of Assam, Jagdish Mukhi, on December 5. Other dignitaries present during the occasion included Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Tourism Secretary, Rashmi Verma and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu among others.
On the second day of the event, Union Tourism Secretary, Rashmi Verma, informed that 92 new routes have been chosen in the northeast under the UDAN scheme. Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) is a scheme by the central government for regional airport development and connectivity.
“A meeting was conducted with officials from the Airport Authority of India in which we received a very good response. 92 sites have been selected in the region for connectivity and the financial bids are now going to be opened. So within six months, we will see more flights coming to the region,” said Verma.
In the sixth edition of the ITM, a total of 67 foreign delegates participated from 29 countries including China, Germany, USA, UK, Fiji, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, South Korea and Japan among others.
Further, 42 tour operators, seven international travel writers and 19 media personnel from international media houses had also taken part in the event.
Additionally, 103 buyers took part from the northeast states and 29 domestic tour operators from different parts of the country excluding the northeast were also present during the tourism mart.
State Tourism Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “With the government of India’s renewed focus on the northeast and keeping in the view the Act East Policy, we are confident that we will see a huge tourist inflow in the state in the coming years.”
Emphasis on adventure and eco tourism
Officials emphasised that Assam and the northeast has rich flora, fauna and other invaluable resources which should be explored to develop eco tourism in the region.
The ITM focussed on developing trade and tourism ties among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and the northeast region with the point of view of international tourism.
Another area which needs promotion is the scope of adventure tourism in this region, felt authorities. Verma said that there was a need to market these tourism products in a better manner to make maximum people aware about them.
She added that the states should develop a calendar and engage in aggressive promotional campaigns for tourism. She also stressed on the need to have better synergy between private sector and other stakeholders to achieve maximum tourism potential in the northeast.
Officials informed that two development projects for Assam worth Rs 190 crores have been sanctioned by the central government. Further, one project for upgradation of Kamakhya Temple under the Prasad scheme has also been sanctioned.
According to authorities, Assam saw 30,000 foreign tourists in 2016. Further, 1.38 lakh foreign tourists visited northeast in 2016 and the region saw a growth of 5.2% from 2013 to 2016 in foreign tourist inflow.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the state government is developing its heritage without affecting the ecology or destroying the environment.
“At a time when pollution has become a global threat, our biodiversity is our biggest asset and we should work towards promoting it,” said Sonowal adding that in the coming days, Assam will be developed as a major sports hub. It has already hosted major international and national sporting events this year and will play host to more in the future.
One-on-one business sessions
One of the major highlights of the ITM was the one-to-one business sessions which were held between international as well as domestic buyers and sellers.
A number of tour organisers and travel operators attended these sessions from India and abroad.
Talking to G Plus, a tour operator from Korea, JC Han, said that this was his first visit to Assam and he found the state very unique in terms of its cultural customs, natural beauty and general atmosphere.
“During the business sessions, I got a chance to interact with several in-bound tour operators from India and had talks with them to organise tours from Korea. I am looking forward to bringing tourists from Korea to Assam and other states in the northeast,” said Han adding that he is a special interest tour operator and deals especially with cultural and historical tours.
Additionally, stalls were set up by each state from the northeast displaying their handicraft and traditional products. A tour coordinator from Manipur, Maibam Prabin Singh, said that he received a great response as many people expressed their interest in visiting Manipur.
Several deliberations and panel discussions also took place between buyer and seller communities within the course of four days to attract international as well as domestic investors and other stakeholders.