GUWAHATI: Attending the inaugural session of the 6th International Tourism Mart (ITM)Chief Minister of the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu appealed the foreign delegates and domestic stakeholders to visit Arunachal and other Northeastern states for its rich cultural diversity, natural beauty and its rich biodiversity.
Assam’s Governor Jagdish Mukhi inaugurated the ITM on Tueday evening at Taj Vivanta where it is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Govenment of India in association with the Northeastern states.
Khandu said Northeast might be lacking in development but has rich cultural diversity and many other things to offer. He said the outlook of Northeast was changing fast and investors and visitors are making frequent visit to this place in higher numbers.
He said in coming days Arunachal was going to have good connectivity in terms of road, air, rail and digital. “The state’s capital has got rail connectivity and Shatabdi express too. Further survey and investigation for railway connectivity along the foothills and even upto higher reaches, such as, Tawang has also been started,” he said.
“Also in case of air connectivity, six ALGS have been completed in my tenure,” said the Chief Minister adding soon many of these airfields will have fixed-wing services and hoped to see scheduled flights to Guwahati. He also said an airport for state capital was also being fast materialised.
Khandu thanked the Government of India for organising the ITM, which is being organised on a rotation basis. He said after the second meet had been held in Tawang in 2013, the state has experienced great increase in tourist inflow.
Sixty-six foreign delegates comprising stakeholders and media persons from 29 countries and 50 domestic stakeholders in tourism sector from different parts of the country are participating in the three-day event.
The mart aims to put emphasis on India’s Act East Policy, blossoming ties with ASEAN and the larger East Asian region. Also it aims to create awareness about the rich and varied tourism products of the Northeastern region in the domestic and international markets.