Attracting tourists to North East India: Domestic & international focus

Friday, December 15, 2023

The Ministry of Tourism places a special focus on promoting tourism and attracting both domestic and international visitors to the North East Region. It does so by providing financial assistance through various schemes like Swadesh Darshan, PRASHAD, Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development, Domestic Promotion and Publicity including Hospitality (DPPH), and more. The Ministry has introduced new initiatives to draw tourists, including:

1. Offering financial support for constructing a Convention Centre in Aizawl to promote Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism.
2. Developing View Points along highways in the North Eastern States.
3. Identifying 15 destinations in the North East for comprehensive development under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme.
4. Hosting International Tourism Marts (ITMs) annually to showcase the tourism potential of the region. The last ITM was held in Shillong, Meghalaya, from November 21st to 23rd, 2023.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining clean tourist sites, the Ministry of Tourism has devised a Swachhta Action Plan. This plan includes awareness campaigns on cleanliness, with a particular emphasis on students and other stakeholders in tourism. Additionally, events such as Swacchta Pakhwada and Swchhta hi Sewa are celebrated annually. In the North East, various institutions of the Ministry have organized 113 cleanliness-related activities. The development of amenities at View Points along highways in the North East further enhances the tourist infrastructure.

Effective connectivity is vital for the development of tourist destinations. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, has launched the RCS-UDAN scheme to facilitate and stimulate regional air connectivity by making it affordable. The Ministry of Tourism has collaborated with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to provide financial support in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the Champion Service Sector Scheme (CSSS) to improve connectivity to important tourist places, including Iconic sites. Currently, there are 61 Tourism RCS (T-RCS) routes approved, with 53 already operational. The Ministry of Tourism has urged all State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations to establish dedicated Tourism Police, and several states have already done so.

To better understand the requirements of tourist police and sensitize them to the needs of tourists, the Ministry of Tourism conducted a study through the Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM) titled “Functioning of Tourist Police in States/UTs & Documentation of Best Practices.” A training module was also provided for imparting training in this regard.

In pursuit of implementing a Uniform Tourist Police across all States/UTs to ensure tourist safety, the Ministry of Tourism collaborated with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bureau of Police Research and Development to organize a National Conference on Tourist Police Scheme for Director Generals (DGs)/Inspector Generals (IGs) of Police Departments from all States/UTs on October 19, 2022, in New Delhi.

Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism has established a 24×7 Multi-Lingual Tourist Info-Helpline (toll-free number 1800111363 or short code 1363) in 12 languages, including 10 international languages, Hindi, and English, to provide support and information to both domestic and foreign tourists traveling in India.

Lastly, the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with all stakeholders, including the Tourism Departments of all States and UTs, has adopted the ‘Code of Conduct for Safe & Honourable Tourism.’ This code of conduct outlines guidelines to promote tourism activities with respect for basic rights, dignity, safety, and freedom from exploitation, especially for women and children.

This information was provided by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism, and DoNER, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, in the Lok Sabha.

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