North East India is a "Paradise Unexplored": Arunachal CM

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Saturday termed North East as a "Paradise Unexplored", which has a huge tourism potential that is yet to be tapped of its true potential.

Tuki, who inaugurated the second International Tourism Mart (ITM) was inaugurated in Tawang, referring to the top priority to promotion of the tourism sector for having potential to generate massive self employment avenues while enriching the state exchequer, said that this Himalayan state is a treasure trove of natural beauty inhabited by over 150 major and minor hospitable tribes with their rich cultural mosaic, art and crafts, tribal cuisines which offer huge scope for the growth of tourism

Union Tourism Secretary Parvez Dewan said that the holding of the ITM in Tawang reflected the commitment of the government to promote tourism in North East India, and in Arunachal Pradesh and Tawang in particular. Dewan said that India records 105 crore domestic tourists and 65 lakh foreign tourists annually, yielding revenue of USD 18 billion from foreigners which amounted to 6.5 percent of national GDP besides generating about 10% direct or indirect employment.

Later, the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister inaugurated an exhibition of an exhibition of nine participating Indian states showcasing their tourist potential, traditional, cultural, art and craft uniqueness.

Sikkim Tourism Minister Bhim Dhungel, Nagaland Tourism Minister E E Pangteang, Arunachal's Tourism Parliamentary Secretary PD Sona, Art and Culture Parliamentary Secretary Tsewang Dhondup and Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs department chairman Rev T G Rinpoche and top ranking officers, among others were present on the occasion.

The inaugural function was followed by PowerPoint presentation of nine participating states to highlight their respective tourism scope

This is the second International Tourism Mart to be organised in the North Eastern region with the objective of highlighting the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets. It will bring together the tourism business fraternity and entrepreneurs from the eight North Eastern States of India and West Bengal. The event has been planned and scheduled to facilitate interaction between buyers, sellers, media, Government agencies and others.

The North East Region of India comprising the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim and the state of West Bengal are endowed with diverse tourist attractions and products. The varied topography of the region, its flora and fauna, the ethnic communities with their rich heritage of ancient traditions and lifestyles, festivals, arts and crafts, make it a holiday destination waiting to be explored.

International buyers and media delegates from countries around the world and from different regions of the country are participating in the Mart and will engage in business-to-business meetings with sellers from the North East Region and West Bengal. This will enable tourism product suppliers to reach out to international and domestic buyers and promote tourism in the region.

Besides the foreign delegates, domestic buyers from other parts of the country and sellers from the North Eastern States and West Bengal are participating in the Mart. In addition to the business meetings, the three day event includes presentations, cultural evenings, sightseeing visits to local attractions in and around Tawang and press meetings with the media.

Post-Mart familiarisation tours to the states in the region have been arranged by the State Governments for the overseas delegates from the 21st to 27th October 2013 to create awareness about the rich and varied tourism products of the region.

Foreign delegates from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, U.K., USA and Vietnam are participating in the ITM.