Move to promote domestic tourism in NE
NEW DELHI: Places in the North East like Shillong record more footfall of international tourists while affluent people from states like Gujarat and Maharash-tra go to foreign countries, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh who called for promoting the North East as a tourist destination.
Observing that places like Shillong and Gangtok have more to offer than many foreign counties, the Union Minister of State (Independent) for Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) said, “It is a strange contradiction that large number of tourists from Mumbai, Maharashtra and Gujarat are inclined to travel to foreign destinations like Bangkok and Kathmandu, but they are not motivated to travel to Shillong or Gangtok which have much more to offer at a much lesser budget.”
A North East desk will be set up in Mumbai to attract tourists as well as trade investment from Maharashtra and other Western parts of country.
The Minister was interacting with top industry leaders in Mumbai to discuss ways of promoting tourism and trade in the North East. The meeting was attended by members of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber and Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jayakumar Rawal.
Singh attributed the less popularity of the North East to lack of awareness among travellers, who often find it inconvenient to venture into the region.
While dwelling on the vast potential to develop exclusive circuits for industrial and religious tourism between Western parts of India and the North East, Singh proposed the idea of medical tourism for which a place like Mumbai is certainly better equipped. He suggested that the country’s leading corporate hospitals can set up referral clinics in different northeastern states.
Dr Singh also flagged the idea of combining tourism with the “Start-up India” programme, which could simultaneously help in engaging youth and generating employability.
Similarly, he said the youth today is inclined to explore the unexplored for which the Department of Tourism and the IMC can work together to promote adventure tourism.
