Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today chaired the first High Level Task Force meeting on Tourism, which was attended by DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Chief Minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Saha and officials of both central and state governments.
During the meeting the framework to unlock North East India’s tourism potential was discussed.
Sangma remarked that tourists from the rest of India and globally identify the North East region as one and it is imperative that the states work in close coordination to facilitate tourism.
He lauded the DoNER Minister for taking up the initiative to constitute the taskforce, which the CM termed as a “landmark” intervention to boost tourism in the entire North East. He said that the region has come up with industrial policies and is paving the way for industrial growth.
Speaking at the meeting, Scindia said, “The region can leverage its rich heritage and natural beauty to drive sustainable development, boost local economies and generate employment”.
The taskforce constituted by the DoNER minister is headed by the Meghalaya CM and will 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.
During the meeting, the DoNER Minister suggested that the tourism model of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and other South Asian nations should be studied and build a model that further boosts the tourism potential of the region.
Saha suggested intervention which has been initiated by the state to promote tourism including presenting unique northeast cuisines, while Tamang spoke at length on tourism interventions and flow of tourists to the state, while suggesting promotion of the region through consistent marketing and branding. He also recommended collaboration amongst all North Eastern states to facilitate tourism.
The taskforce was constituted following the 72nd plenary of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held in November 2024 in Agartala.
As part of the intervention, in each of the eight states one tourism circuit will be identified. Through this intervention, the government aims to attract both domestic and international tourists to the region.
