With peace restored in most parts of the region, the Northeast has seen a major boost in tourist footfall over the last decade. As many as one crore, 25 lakh tourists, visited the Northeast in 2023. The numbers have increased significantly compared to the last decade, as 70 lakhs visited the region in 2014.
Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted the International Tourism Mart (ITM) data. The 12th edition of the ITM for Northeast is being held in Kaziranga in Assam.
Union minister Shekhawat attributes the increase of tourist footfall to the massive infrastructure developed across the region. Be it road connectivity, increased rail connectivity, or air connectivity to many new locations in the region, tourists are now getting it easier to reach the unexplored locations of the Northeast easily, and upgraded tourist facilities are also adding to it. Along with the increased footfall of tourists, the accommodation facilities are also seeing growth of over 2.5 percent. Union minister Shekhawat said this is adding to the growth of the local economy.
The Union Minister emphasises showcasing the rich and diverse culture and heritage, natural beauty and rich cuisines of the region to attract more and more tourists. He mentioned that post-pandemic, the growth of domestic tourism in India is overwhelming, unlike the international scenario, which makes it a double increase in tourist footfall in the Northeast compared to the previous decade.
Union minister Shekhwat highlighted that with the continuous efforts of the PM, Narendra Modi-led government, over 250 million people have come out of the poverty line and are enjoying their middle-class lives. The newly added middle-class families are adding the tourism boost in the country, and India is also seeing growth in its global presence.
He highlighted that the union government is trying to develop sustainable tourism through schemes like “Swafesh Darshan” and PRASHAD.
Under the flagship Swadesh Darshan scheme, 16 tourism development projects worth Rupees 1309 crores have been sanctioned, and 16 more projects have been identified for the second edition of the scheme for further development in North East. Additionally, under the PRASAD scheme, eight tourism development projects have been sanctioned, and Rs 256 crores are already allotted for the region.
Among the significant developments under the PRASAD scheme, the Maa Kamakhya temple corridor has been sanctioned to develop the promising place of worship in Guwahati, Assam. Over 11 lakh devotees visited the Maa Kamakhya temple in 2022-23, and the numbers have increased in the current year.
Minister Shekhawat underlined the importance of hosting the 12th edition of ITM in Kaziranga as this year marks the 50th anniversary of Kaziranga’s national park stature. Kaziranga has seen its expansion from 400 square kilometres to 1300 square kilometres, and the tourist inflow has grown manifold.
