North East News Agency

Tourism is a major social phenomenon of modern society with economic consequences. Its importance as an instrument for economic development and employment generation has now been realized world over. For the last four decades there has been sweeping revolution in the tourism sector across the world. The number of tourist worldwide has been     growing and it is expected to swell to 1.5 billion and receipts from it are estimated to cross US $ 200 billion.

Despite several constraints facing the tourism sector like insurgency and proper infrastructure in the North-East Region, notwithstanding high potential its share is abysmally low. Endia’s share in world tourist arrival was 44 per cent. Out of this North  region’s share is 1.2 percent with more concentration on Darjeeling and Sikkim.

The North-East Region is bestowed with diverse tourist attractions and each state has its own distinctive feature. Nature has given its bountiful to this region. The   attractions   are located and scattered all the region and are largely located in remote areas within highly fragile environments. These attractions and people of the region constitute tourism resources at large. In the North East Region, focus should be on creating infrastructure in rural areas which have potential for tourism. The objective is to showcase rural life, art, culture and heritage in rural locations and in villages which have core competency in terms of craft, handloom, and textile etc.

Tourism in present day does not confine itself to hotels, restaurants and sea beaches. Its broad arena touches upon Rural area, Health Sector and Environment. This is the case of North- East Region endowed with scenic beauty, rich cultural heritage and unique art and craft. There are 305 communities and out of these 106 are tribes. Not only are their habitats captivating nestled         among verdant land, but each community has also got its distinct customs, rich cultural heritage and so many fascinating folklores to tell. So, North East to all the requirements and aspects of modern day tourism.

The new concept of Eco tourism can easily be implemented in North- East area for which all foreign tourists are looking for. There are so many aromatic plants being grown in this region. Health Tourism can be promoted in the nearby areas with selective location. It will create      market for these plants also. Tourism will have multiplier effects in the region. It will provide job opportunities, rural development, mutual co-existence through cultural exchange, and transformation to a open society from a closed one. In the backdrop of insurgency the big question arises that although there was huge potential in the tourism sector what should have been done first to attract tourists to this region. Tourism is an industry these days and trillions of money are being circulated in this sector. This sector augments so many ancillary industries and services with a potential to create thousands of jobs. The aim is to enhance the employment potential within the tourism sector as well as to economic integration through developing linkages with other sectors. Tourism serves gradually as an important bridge of cultural exchange, friendship and further exchanges and more and more extensive influence on the human life and social progress among various countries. Tourism industry can be expected to bring millions of rupees to the region, once proper initiative is taken, proper infrastructure are built and access to the region for tourists is thrown open. It will defuse the tension among the various ethnic groups and their dependency on Government financing.

International survey ranks India fifth amongst the tourist hot spots of the world. India has overtaken biggies like USA, France, Singapore and South Africa to be treated as one of the five most favoured tourism destinations in the world in 2005. World Travel and Tourism Council rates India as the fastest growing tourism economy in the world. Although Government of India has been successful in attracting tourists to India through the Incredible India Campaign, there is a need to give more thrust to  NE.

Tourism will also assuage the secessionist sentiments among the people of this to a large extent. Insurgency is not a mere problem of law and order, it is embedded in socio-economic aspects also. Tourism will provide cultural exchange within the country and outside the country, and enthuse acceptability of the other cultures. All the insurgent groups operating in the North-East Region have as one of the main demands protection of there culture and language. They have fear that if so many people will come to this region their culture and civilization will be diluted. But if tourism will come to this region that will be showcase for their culture and religion as well as in the country and outside country with boosting handicraft and other small Industries. So, tourism will help region back to normalcy.

Tourism is a tool for rural development with participation from private sector and other agencies. Government will work as a facilitator, job opportunities will be mostly created out     the government and less dependency would be on Government funds which in many instances are not utilized to its fullest potential. People will become more aware and finally things would fall in place. The new approach is therefore to position tourism as a major engine of growth; the direct and multiplier effects of tourism for employment generation, economic developmentThere is thus an urgent need to position NE as an international brand like Kerala’s “Gods own country’.

Promotion of tourism

The Government attaches great importance to the development of tourist infrastructure in the North- East region in view of immense tourist potential of the region. North-East region comprises eight states namely: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim which form part of the East  Himalayan region up to Sikkim eastwards embracing Darjeeling Hills of West up to the Myanmar border.

The rich natural beauty, serenity and exotic flora and fauna of the area are invaluable resources for the development of eco-tourism. The region is endowed with diverse tourist attraction and each State has its own distinct features. Despite abundance of natural beauty, the flow of incoming tourist has been marginal for the reasons of the lack of infrastructural and other related facilities in various tourist spots in the region.

Towards achievement of this objective, 10 per cent of the Plan allocation of the Department has been earmarked for the North East region. In the year 2005-06, 10 per cent of the Plan of Rs. 786 crore earmarked for development of tourism in North Region has been fully utilized. The Financial assistance being given to North- East also includes assistance for promotion of fairs and festivals of the North-Eastern states every year on a continuing basis.

In order to develop and promote tourism in the region, Ministry of Tourism has taken fcllowing steps      to boost tourism in the region:

In order to augment infrastructure for development of human resource in tourism end hospitality education, full-fledged Institute of Hotel Management and) Caterrig Technology was set up at Shillong by upgradation of the Food Craft institute. The institute will have campus of its own on the land allocated by the Government of Meghalaya at the new Shillong Township. The Institute of Hotel Vanag@m@nt, Guwahati is in operation since 1995. Construction work for the building of the Institute is being executed by the CPWD and is near completion. Both the Institute offer 3-year Degree Programme in Hotel Management with an intake of 90 students at Guwahati Institute and 38 students at Shiilong. Besides Degree courses, these Institutes also conduct other Diploma courses in Food and Beverages Service and Food Production.

In order to give wide publicity to the tourist attractions of the North East Region, Ministry has launched nationwide campaigns in various places in the country, on a  continued basis. This is besides the publicity literature, which is being produced on North-East by the Ministry of Tourism. NE states are given a free booth in world’s largest tourism fair.

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