GUWAHATI, Sept 19 - The Union Ministry of Tourism has chalked out elaborate plans to showcase the best of the North East to the stakeholders of tourism sector from ASEAN, BIMSTEC and SAARC countries in the sixth edition of the Northeast India International Travel Mart to be held at Vivanta by Taj here from December 5 to 7.
Nearly 100 delegates representing tourism and allied sectors of the neighbouring countries, except Pakistan, would be participating in the event in addition to 25 tour operators from different parts of the country.
The event is being held in association with the Government of Assam and the governments of all other NE states. The International Travel Mart is hosted annually by one of the eight north-eastern states (including Sikkim).
According to Regional Director of India Tourism Northeast Shoeb Samad, growing interest of international tourists in the NE region could be gauzed by the fact that the region has witnessed a compound annual growth rate of 18.3 per cent of international tourists from 2013 to 2015 and 1.19 lakh foreign tourists chose the North East as their destination during 2015.
�Similarly, the domestic tourist visits have also shown an increasing trend with the number going up to 79.41 lakh in 2015 compared to 70.45 lakh in 2014 and 66.77 lakh in 2013. The positive impact of tourist arrival in the North East in the past couple of years would receive a further boost with the travel mart event in Guwahati,� he said.
�Altogether 80 stakeholders from the region would showcase the products to the delegates through one-to-one meetings. Tourism product suppliers, tour operators and hoteliers among others would get an opportunity to reach out to the domestic and international buyers, thereby opening new horizons for destinations of the region,� according to Assam Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Jayanta Malla Barua.
