GUWAHATI, May 22 – Poor connectivity is one of the major impediment to the development of tourism in the North East Region, but the positive sign is that the Government of India is planning to invest about Rs 50,000 crore in improving connectivity in the region in the next five years. This information has been provided in the website of the Department for Development of the North East Region (DoNER).The DoNER has also decided to hold dialogues with the Ministry of External Affairs and other concerned Ministries to address issues like opportunities and challenges in attracting tourists from abroad to the North East states.The DoNER said that the Government of India has launched a concerted drive to improve all kinds of connectivity within the region and between the region and rest of India. Efforts will also be launched to improve connectivity with the South East Asian Countries. The Rail network is being augmented and the national water way II will soon be made operational while, a plan is on to declare Barak river as National Water Way VI.On air connectivity, the DoNER said that the density of civil airports in the region is the highest in the country and the recent changes of the policies of the Government of India led to operation of 226 flights a week between the region and the rest of the country. Intra-region connectivity is now the key and plans are on to reach the target of 600 flights a week within the first half of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Another major factor affecting growth of tourism in the North East is the common perception about the law and order situation and the Governments of the states of the region must ensure impeccable law and order situation, iron clad security cover for the tourists etc not only for attracting tourists but also for attracting investments, the DONER said. The DONER is also of the view that the Governments of the NE states must take full advantage of the schemes of the Ministry of Tourism and the Non Lapsable Poll of Central funds to improve infrastructure related to tourism and hospitality sector. As tourism holds the highest promise for generating employment and income, the states must give priority in the development of the sector, the DoNER said.The DoNER report pointed out that hotels, two star category and above, adventure and leisure sports including ropeways have been included in the new Industrial Policy for the North East , which came into effect from this financial year, the states must take full advantage of the incentives to attract private investment in these sectors. The DoNER report said that the fourth sectoral summit of the North Eastern Council, held in Gangtok in April this year discussed the issues relating to promotion of tourism in the region in detail and the summit arrived at a consensus that target groups for tourists should be identified and the states like Gujarat and West Bengal, which generates a very high proportion of domestic tourists, should be targeted for attracting domestic tourists. Domestic tourist traffic in the country has increased from around 250 million to 500 million, while, the foreign tourist flow is estimated to the tune of two to three million a year. The NE states should give a thrust in attracting domestic tourists and efforts should be on also to attract foreign tourists with improved connectivity from the North East to the foreign countries. Low cost accommodation facilities like dharamsalas, low budget hotels, youth hostels etc must be established near the rivers and sanctuaries to attract domestic tourists.The DoNER has called upon the states of the region to draw up annual and perspective state plans for tourism related issues and on the basis of that and in consultation of the Ministry of Tourism, the NEC and the DoNER would be able to draw up plans for the entire region.
(Assam Tribume)
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