Assam to quadruple tourism spend in FY18

State ropes in Priyanka Chopra as brand ambassador

Assam is on an overdrive to promote the state as an attractive tourist destination. On the heels of roping in Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra as  Assam tourism’s brand ambassador, the state’s tourism minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said on Sunday that the budgetary allocation for tourism would see a four times jump in the next financial year.
 
“In FY18, we’ll allocate Rs 460 crore for the tourism department. It would be a quantum jump from the present Rs 100 crore,” said Sarma, who also holds the finance portfolio in the state, besides health and education. According to Sarma, the state will soon formulate a tourism policy. A unique project called Amar Aalohi (our guest) would be unveiled soon, he added. Amar Aalohi would encourage villagers to arrange homestays for tourists. This would be done keeping in mind to promote tea tourism, religious circuits and ethnic culture where guests would be required to venture into the interiors of the state and choose homestays.

 
“We would soon create infrastructure under this project. We would also impart soft skills and hospitality training to our villagers those who would join the homestay project,” added Sarma while addressing media persons along with Chopra. Chopra, who visited the state for the first time on Sunday after being signed as brand ambassador, said she hoped to show Assam to the world through her eyes. She has a two-year contract with the state government to promote Assam tourism at both national and international platforms.
 

“What is incredible about Assam is its diversity. The culture and grace of the Assamese people is what I find striking about the state,” she said.

 
Sarma had launched a new logo of Assam tourism with the punchline ‘Awesome Assam’ in September. A sum of Rs 15 crore was allocated then to undertake publicity campaign under the new logo that depicts the one-horned rhino, world-famous Assam tea and the mighty Brahmaputra on one canvas.
 
An estimated 5,516,565 tourists, which included 24,720 foreign travellers, visited the state in 2015.