GUWAHATI, June 12 - With ease in travel and transport norms and gradual lifting of curbs, Assam Tourism has started making attempts to catch the fancy of the local and domestic tourists looking for tranquil locations to beat the lockdown blues.
The State tourism department plans to go slow and steady to promote tourism potentials of the monsoon destinations of Assam. The phase-wise plan will be unfolded through extensive media campaigns at local and State levels.
�Keeping safety of tourists paramount, we have planned to first promote the monsoon destinations in the local vicinity, district and State levels. The idea is to set the ball rolling as well as to provide an opportunity to the local and indigenous tourists within the State to enjoy its pristine natural beauty that reaches its prime during the monsoons,� Commissioner and Secretary Tourism, Dr M Angamuthu told The Assam Tribune.
�Gradually, we will reach out to the tourists of the North East and those from other parts of the country. Our ground assessments suggest that numerous people from across the country are now looking for safe, serene and isolated locations to spend some quality time,� he further mentioned.
The department has prepared an exhaustive list of safe destinations that will not just allow a quick monsoon escapade to the tourists, but will introduce them to the glorious rainy season of the State.
The destinations inviting tourists from the rest of India to breathe in the fresh monsoon air include Chandubi, a natural lake located in Kamrup at a distance of 64 km from Guwahati, encompassed by deep forest and small villages; Sualkuchi, also known as the �Manchester of the East�, which is famous for its centuries-old heritage of weaving; Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary and Jeypore Rainforest, which is popular as �Amazon of the East�; Dima Hasao district, an absolute paradise for Nature lovers with miles and miles of paddy fields interspersed with pristine forests; Karbi Anglong with its rare and diverse flora and fauna; the famous Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, an Identified Bird Area (IBA) comprising tropical moist deciduous forests, tropical semi-green forests, salix swamp forests, moist evergreen forests, grasslands and canebrakes; Mayong, the mystic land of �black magic� located on the banks of the Brahmaputra river in Morigaon district; Manas National Park - a UNESCO heritage site, biosphere hotspot, wildlife sanctuary, national park, Project Tiger, Project Elephant reserve and also one of the better known birding areas in the world; Bornodi Wildlife Sanctuary/Bogamati, Barak Valley and Nameri National Park.
The department has also prepared a list of places of attraction available around the respective sites and the activities available around those areas. Registered tourist guides would assist the tourists in their activities.
