Shillong, April 7: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has advocated for close coordination between the north-eastern states to unlock the tourism potential of the region. He made the suggestion while chairing the first High Level Task Force meeting on Tourism on Monday, which was attended by DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Chief Minister Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister Tripura Dr. Manik Saha and officials of both centre and state.
The Ministry of DoNER has constituted the High Level Task Force in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister, to study the tourism potential of the region, suggest interventions, identify strategic gaps and recommend a roadmap for comprehensive development of the tourism sector in the region. The Task Force has been constituted following the 72nd plenary of North Eastern Council (NEC) held in November 2024 at Agartala, Tripura.
The meeting on Monday discussed the framework to unlock North East India’s tourism potential, with special emphasis on sustainable development and generating employment.
Sangma remarked that tourists from the rest of India and globally identify the North East region as “one” and it is imperative that the states work in close coordination to facilitate tourism.
He lauded DoNER Minister for taking up the initiative to constitute the task force, which the chief minister termed as a “landmark” intervention to boost tourism in the entire north-eastern region. He said that the NE region has also come up with industrial policies, and is paving the way for industrial growth.
Speaking at the meeting, DoNER Minister Scindia said, “The region can leverage its rich heritage and natural beauty to drive sustainable development, boost local economies and generate employment.”
During the meeting, the DoNER Minister suggested that the tourism model of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and other south Asian nations should be studied and build a model that further boosts the tourism potential of the region.
Chief Minister Tripura Manik Saha suggested intervention which has been initiated by the state to promote tourism including presenting unique NE cuisines, while Chief Minister Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang spoke at length on tourism interventions and flow of tourists to the state, while suggesting promotion of the region through consistent marketing and branding. He also recommended collaboration amongst all North Eastern States to facilitate tourism.
As part of the intervention, in each of the eight states one tourism circuit will be identified. Through this intervention, the government aims to attract both domestic and international tourists to the region.
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