Hospitality wins tourists is CM's mantra for people of Arunachal

At a time when the Arunachal Pradesh is witnessing a rise in tourist arrivals every year 'hospitality' is the key to boost tourism industry in state, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said here on Saturday.

"People need to be educated more in terms of tourism. Tourists visit places where people are friendly and welcoming," Khandu said at the launch of an audio-visual presentation on tourism promotion in the state by the Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators Association (APTOA).

The Chief Minister requested the state Tourism Department to conduct workshops and awareness campaigns to make people realise the importance of tourism for the growth of state's economy.

Stressing on innovation to promote tourism, the Chief Minister urged the young minds of the department to take the lead.

Welcoming private investment in tourism industry to supplement the state government's efforts towards developing the tourism infrastructure and facilities, Khandu informed that the state government had announced a Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swablamban Yojana (DDUSY) with bank loans from Rs 10 lakh to one crore with up to 30 per cent subsidy.

"Main purpose of this scheme is to boost tourism and to promote the growth of agriculture and allied sectors, which will be a big help for our unemployed youths," he said.

Touching upon the issues of APTOA, Khandu assured to raise the corpus fund from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh within this year. Acknowledging the role of tour operators in the development tourism sector, he welcomed APTOA to be a part of Team Arunachal to help the government in policy making and taking decisions.

--IANS

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