KOHORA, July 21 � An urgent step towards the setting up of a special foreign exchange counter for the international tourists at SBI of Kohora branch is felt by many stakeholders related to tourism in Kaziranga. Sometimes foreign tourists face a lot of difficulties while changing tour plans to see new destinations like those in upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Some tourists make on the spot decisions and their tour itinerary to visit new areas of interest and in that case they feel difficulties to go due to the shortage of Indian currency.
This indirectly affects stakeholders related to tourism since those tourists spots which are not much known among the travellers, but important from tourism point of view do further remain unexposed and secondly the socio economic conditions of the area remain the same without any improvement.
In Assam, besides Kaziranga, Nameri and Manas national parks, there are many important places dotted with religious institutions as well as historical monuments (apart from Majuli and Sivasagar) and lesser known wildlife parks and sanctuaries which have been visited by quite a few number of tourists which is not healthy in terms of cumulative growth of the tourism sector in the Assam. It is very important to improve those lesser known tourist places so that the tourism/biotic pressure can be reduced on Kaziranga and other frequently visited tourists spots for healthy environment as well as rational growth of tourism. � There is an urgent need of foreign exchange facility at the SBI, Kohora since some foreign tourists make changes in their tour plan to go to new tourist spot� said Tarun Gogoi, Tourist Information Officer at Kohora. � We get inquiries with regard to foreign exchange facility at Kohora, but are unable to help them� said Rupjyoti Borah, a research fellow of Kaziranga Wildlife Society at Kohora. Similar opinion had been expressed by a naturalist cum guide Chandra Gogoi of Kohora who said that it would be a great service for foreign tourists if the bank authorities show a kind gesture by arranging a foreign exchange facility at Kohora. Sources said that they do not see any problem in setting up of a foreign exchange facility here, rather it would be another service towards the growth of organised tourism.