Promoting tourism in North-East

Tourism, by and large, is an untapped sector in the north-eastern parts of India. The seven sisters of the North-East are endowed with rich natural resources and biodiversity, which is a comparative advantage of the region. Despite its enormous potential as a credible tourist destination, the international and domestic tourists do not regard it as a preferred destination for leisure and sight-seeing. This speaks volumes about the need to develop the region with concerted investments by the government and private sector.

There are various reasons as to why the north-east India has consistently failed to attract tourists. First, the poor infrastructure development in the form of inadequate roads, poor railway network, select few airports and the abysmal hospitality(say,hotels or lodging facilities) acts as the foremost deterrent for domestic and international tourists. Second, the security situation is quite vulnerable in the region. The insurgent groups and frequent ethnic clashes among tribal communities have vitiated the atmosphere and disturbed the peace and tranquility in the region.

Therefore, the Government should strive to promote connectivity in the region. Recently, the Prime Minister has inaugurated two railway lines in Arunachal Pradesh with one of them connecting Naharlagun and New-Delhi. But improving connectivity would not bear fruit unless there are multi-modal linkages with equal emphasis on roadways, railways as well as airport facilities. The security climate could improve if efforts are made to rein in insurgency through dialogue and cooperation with the stakeholders involved. The Central government has directed the state governments to recruit tourist police for vigilance purposes. Yet not all the states have implemented the proposal with alacrity.

Most importantly, the government should facilitate product development and effective marketing of specific products. For instance Assam could promote its tea and silk products where it enjoys competitive advantage with other regions. Similar branding and exposure of festivals and traditional cultural features can be done in  coordination with the people of the region. Generating and promoting awareness at the macro and micro level through online platforms and creating help-desks at airports and railway stations would go a long way in promoting tourism.