GUWAHATI, April 10 � Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay today vowed to market North East tourism sector, both domestically and globally, which according to him would go a long way in alleviating poverty.
�Let all the States of North East join hands together and the Ministry is ready help catapult the region�s tourist sector to the global map,� assured Sahay after formally inaugurating �MV Mahabaahu�, country�s first luxury river cruise ship at the Uzan Bazar Ghat.
�MV Mahabaahu�, which is built under a public private partnership between Far Horizon India and Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited, will cover various tourist hotspots including Kaziranga National Park and river island Majuli on its way. The luxury river cruise has been built at a cost of Rs 26 crore. The Union Minister further said that a vibrant tourism sector can be the biggest employment generating source and the North East has all the ingredients to be a centre of tourist attraction.
On the new cruise, he said, �This is certainly a pioneering effort in the tourism sector of the region, which was missing till now.�
Sahay went on to say that the Ministry has decided to make a film on the tourism sector of North East to help the region�s tourism sector to catch international attention.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who was also present on the occasion, said that river Brahmaputra has been a lifeline for all activities, be it trade, commerce or tourism.
�North East has its unique identity which we must promote in the global milieu. There are places which can even be tagged as unique world heritage site,� Gogoi said.
�We are bad in marketing ourselves unlike some of the smaller places like Sri Lanka and Thailand. However, things are improving and we are also receiving good response from the Union Government,� Gogoi pointed out.
�With the potential we have, Assam should soon find an important place in world tourist map,� he added.
State Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma, Principal Secretary (Tourism) HK Das, Sanjay Basu, managing director, Far Horizon India and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
