Guwahati: The North East region’s development would be accelerated, and a premier tourism centre will be built there, according to Union Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy on Friday.
He was addressing during the International Tourism Mart’s opening ceremony, which was held in Aizawl.
India will shortly preside over the G20 from December 2022 to November 2023, the minister announced. India has the ideal opportunity to promote its culture, history, and tourism potential at the G-20 and establish itself as a top travel destination worldwide.
He said, “we will host over 200 meetings across 55 cities during this period. These meetings are also proposed to be held in several states of the northeast including Aizawl.”
China, Mexico, India, South Africa, and Indonesia are expected to see growth in their tourism industries following COVID, according to Reddy. With our leadership, we can undoubtedly move ahead of these four or five nations and establish India’s tourist industry in its proper position on the world stage. While extending an invitation to the globe, we must prepare to highlight the rich cultural diversity of our region. The various tourism attractions and goods available in the eight states will be highlighted during the 2022 International Tourism Mart.
During the official opening of the ITM 2022 in Aizawl today, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and Chief Minister of Mizoram Zoramthanga jointly lay the foundation stone for the Aizawl Convention Center in Chite, the PRASHAD Project in Mizoram, and two Bamboo Link Roads. On this occasion, the Union Minister also unveiled the Mizoram Tourism Coffee Table Book. Arvind Singh, the secretary of tourism, Robert Romawia Royte, the minister of tourism for the government of Mizoram, and other top government of Mizoram and Indian officials were also present.
Reddy further disclosed that the Indian government has been funding the development of the region’s general tourism infrastructure, as well as advertising campaigns, fair and festival promotion, and other tourism-related activities. A committee of active NER stakeholders has also been established by the Ministry of Tourism. “In the North East region, the Ministries of Tourism, DoNER, and Road Transport & Highways are creating 100 viewpoints. 49 crores of rupees have been spent on the development of 22 view-points. 9 perspectives in Mizoram have been developed at a cost of Rs. 12.78 crores. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is also independently developing opinions “said Union Minister.
Reddy also mentioned how important the Ministry of Defence’s Border Roads Organization is to the development of the road network in the border regions. By constructing Border Road organisation cafes, BRO has taken the initiative to provide tourists visiting scenic spots with essential amenities. In the first phase, 75 localities are getting border roadways organisation cafes created. 25 BRO cafes are being constructed in the NE states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam.
Reddy continued by saying that the Ministry of Tourism places a strong emphasis on growing and promoting tourism in the North-eastern States. The Ministry has approved 16 projects in India’s Northeast under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, totaling Rs 1,337.63 million. “A quarter of the SWADESH Darshan projects have been approved for the North East states. The Ministry has approved roughly Rs 200 crores under the PRASHAD Scheme for a number of projects in the area “said Union Minister.
According to CM Zoramthanga, the Mizo state is among the most picturesque places to visit in the northeastern region thanks to its evergreen hills, dense bamboo jungles, lush green paddy fields, and the Blue Mountains. He claimed that Mizoram had excellent tourism potential. The CM also praised the Central Government for approving many projects, including as the Aizawl bypass and bamboo connecting roads, for the development of Mizoram.
On a rotating basis, the North-Eastern States host the International Tourism Marts. This Mart is being held for the first time in Mizoram. Guwahati, Tawang, Shillong, Gangtok, Agartala, Imphal, and Kohima have hosted previous iterations of this market.