Shillong, Apr 7: Chief minister Conrad Sangma on Monday underscored the need for coordination among North Eastern states to harness their tourism potentials.
He made the remark while chairing the first meeting on High Level Task Force on Tourism, which was constituted by DoNER Ministry in November last year.
Stating that tourists from the rest of India and beyond identify the North Eastern region as “one”, he said, “It is imperative that the states work in close coordination to facilitate tourism.”
The meeting, also attended by DoNER minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang, Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha, discussed a framework to unlock the region’s tourism potential.
CM Conrad, meanwhile, lauded the DoNER minister for the initiative to constitute the task force, and termed it as a “landmark” intervention to boost tourism in the region.
Addressing the meeting, Scindia said, “The region can leverage its rich heritage and natural beauty to drive sustainable development, boost local economies and generate employment.”
He also suggested that the tourism model of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and other south Asian nations should be studied to build a model that further boosts the tourism potential of the region.
In his address, the Tripura CM suggested promotion of unique NE cuisines while the Sikkim CM underlined consistent marketing and branding.
The task force headed by the Meghalaya CM was formed 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.
As part of the intervention, one tourism circuit will be identified in each of the eight states to attract both domestic and international tourists to the region.
