The Tourism Ministry has approached the Union Home Ministry to ease travel restrictions in some States in the Northeast to promote tourism. States such as Sikkim, which do not have such restrictions, have been witnessing a steady flow of foreign and domestic travellers.
“Yes, we are in talks with the Home Ministry and suggesting that restrictions in some States of the Northeast be eased. We are spending a lot to develop tourism prospects in the region,” Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma said in Agartala on Friday.
Ms. Verma was here to attend the three-day-long 7th International Tourism Mart which got under way in Agartala on Thursday with over a hundred domestic and international delegates and tour operators participating.
Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons, Tripura Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb graced the inaugural session.
The Tripura government is the co-sponsor of the seventh edition of the tourism mart, an annual event held in one of the State capitals of the region to highlight and promote the tourism potential of the Northeast in domestic and international markets, officials said. Tripura’s capital has been chosen as the venue for the mega event for the first time.
Promotion schemes
Ms. Verma said the Tourism Ministry is spending more than 10% of the funds earmarked for the region on tourism infrastructure and comprehensive promotion schemes.
She cited the case of Sikkim as a case in point. Free from regulations such as the Restricted Area Permit, the Himalayan State notched up 13 lakh domestic and international tourists last year alone, said Ms. Verma.
