Twenty eight international delegations from 18 countries and 50 buyers from different parts of the country are taking part in the ongoing 11th edition of International Tourism Mart at Lariti Performing Centre, Mawdiangdiang.
The International Tourism Mart is an annual event held by the Tourism Ministry in one of the North East states on rotation basis, with an objective to provide a bigger platform to the North East stakeholders to interact with their counterparts from both within the country and overseas markets as well.
Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, V. Vidyavathi told a press conference that the objective of organising the annual tourism mart is to showcase the untapped potential of the region, both domestic and international markets to promote sustainable tourism.
She said that the participating delegates include tourism professionals, media opinion makers, tour operators, and participants from the hospitality industry as well. “This demonstrates a growing interest to travel to the unexplored destinations of the country,” she added.
“We are keen to look at the cultural, spiritual, heritage, and rural tourism. The effort on our side is to work on different aspects of tourism. One aspect is that the northeast, as a region, has taken the lead in terms of sustainable tourism and also being extremely conscious about the adverse effects of tourism, if any. There are lessons, which we really want to learn from the northeast and take to different parts of the country and equally be sensitive to the very fragile environment here so that we develop tourism as sustainable and a dream tourism model.”
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the mart which will conclude on November 23.
Addressing the event, Naik said that Meghalaya has huge potential in adventure and eco-tourism and that ITM plans to facilitate interaction between government agencies and stakeholders.
The tourism ministry said that the international Mart is a unique event, as it has been planned as a green event by adopting low carbon options on the lines of the action points formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Government of India for implementation of Mission LiFE and sensitising the tourism stakeholders and generating greater awareness about its objectives.
There will be no use of SUP (Single Use Plastic), a digital and paperless route will be followed as well as a tree plantation drive will be undertaken.
