Is the Northeast Set to Become India's Premier Tourism Destination?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Northeast India is recognized as a cultural and natural powerhouse.
- Focus on sustainability-driven development is crucial for tourism.
- Importance of an annual festival calendar to promote cultural awareness.
- Enhanced last-mile connectivity is essential for tourism growth.
- Strengthening inter-state coordination will improve visitor experiences.
New Delhi, Dec 3 (NationPress) The Northeast of India, recognized as the country's cultural and natural hub, is on track to become one of India's most attractive tourism destinations, as stated by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
He underscored the need for enhanced last-mile connectivity, comprehensive planning, and development driven by sustainability to unlock long-lasting benefits for local communities and the broader economy.
The minister further highlighted the significance of creating an annual calendar that showcases all major festivals of the North Eastern Region, thus promoting greater cultural appreciation and awareness about the area.
Scindia made these remarks during the fourth meeting of the high-level task force on tourism held in the national capital.
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has established eight high-level task forces, each led by a Chief Minister from the northeastern states, along with the Union Minister of DoNER and three other Chief Ministers from neighboring NE states as members.
Scindia praised the depth and quality of the presentations and requested the Meghalaya government to submit the final report after incorporating all feedback received from the task force members.
As per the ministry, the session represented a key milestone in formulating an integrated, action-focused tourism strategy for the Northeast, sharpening priorities, pinpointing challenges, and speeding up coordinated implementation across states.
“Discussions centered around unlocking the region's untapped tourism potential by improving multimodal connectivity, enhancing world-class tourism infrastructure, developing iconic and globally marketable destinations, broadening adventure and eco-tourism offerings, and introducing new tourism products based on the region's rich culture, nature, and heritage,” as stated in an official release.
The meeting also emphasized the need to upgrade skilling ecosystems, standardize service delivery, and enhance capacity-building efforts to ensure the creation of more local jobs and sustainable industry growth. Improved inter-state coordination was also deemed crucial for delivering seamless travel circuits and curated visitor experiences throughout the region.