Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], September 2 (HBTV): Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Monday participated in the Tourism Ministers Conference for North Eastern and Eastern States/Union Territories, chaired by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Shillong. The conference focused on strategies to enhance the tourism sector across the region. 

In his address, Minister Mallabaruah highlighted the remarkable growth of Assam's tourism industry, noting that foreign tourist arrivals in Assam have increased from 6,000 to 42,000, while domestic footfall has reached nearly a crore. "Since 2016, Assam's tourism sector has undergone a significant transformation," he remarked, attributing this success to focused initiatives and government support.

Minister Mallabaruah stressed the need for a comprehensive marketing strategy to unlock the full potential of Assam's diverse tourist attractions. He emphasised the importance of promoting Tea Tourism, Golf Tourism, Wildlife Tourism, and Religious Tourism, which hold great promise for the state's economic development and livelihood enhancement.

The Minister also addressed challenges such as the need to regularise airfares to make Assam a more attractive destination for budget tourists. He discussed ongoing efforts to develop luxury tourism infrastructure in popular destinations and to facilitate home-stays in lesser-known areas under the 'Amar Alohi' scheme. The Minister also requested the Ministry of Tourism to develop a search engine to help tourists find local home-stays, minimising the involvement of multinational companies, which would benefit smaller players. 

Minister Mallabaruah underscored the need to address and reshape external perceptions of Assam, which is often viewed primarily in the context of insurgency and flood challenges. He called for Union Government intervention to assist in this endeavor. He also appealed for strong support from the Government of India to further boost Assam's tourism sector, asserting that every village in Assam has the potential to become a tourist destination. 

Kumar Padmapani Bora later delivered a presentation on Assam's tourism sector and the various initiatives undertaken by the department in recent times.   

(ANI)