Union Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated on Monday that all North Eastern states, except Manipur, have experienced an increase in tourism footfall over the past year, despite ongoing connectivity challenges in the region.
“Having observed the presentation made by all the states, except Manipur, every state has mentioned that tourist footfall has increased in the last one year or post-COVID era,” the Union Minister for Tourism said.
The Minister noted that while violence in Manipur has severely impacted its tourism industry, the overall appeal of India as a tourist destination remains strong, making it the number one destination in the entire Asia-Pacific region.
Shekhawat emphasized that concerns regarding a decline in tourism are unfounded, and the country continues to attract a growing number of visitors.
Addressing the key issues concerning the region, such as the development of homestays and marketing strategies, Shekhawat noted, “Connectivity is one of the challenges in most of the states, and apart from connectivity, most states have flagged the development of homestays and marketing strategies. We have noted down all the observations made before us because most of the challenges in the North Eastern states are similar, but some are unique as well. We will find the appropriate solutions.”
The Minister also highlighted that, following the recommendations of the 14th Financial Commission, all North Eastern states benefit from favorable financial packages, with 90% of tourism-related funding provided as grants by the Government of India. “These grants and facilities will continue in all future plans for the development of tourism infrastructure,” he added.