STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A study on "NORTHEAST PARADISE FOR TOURISM" has suggested the Government of India consider enhancing its budget by Rs 10,000 crore for tourism promotion in the northeastern region.
The study favours the development of the tourism sector in the region by setting up two tourist centres in each state and equipping them with all necessary infrastructure.
The study jointly released by Dr D S Rawat chairman of MSME Export Promotion Council and Jigish Sonagara, founder & CEO of Bill Mart Fintech, emphasized the need for further incentivizing the private sector with an attractive financial package for investing in the tourism promotion in the NER.
Once two tourist centres in each state are developed, Rawat said, 1.5 lakh new direct jobs and an equal number of indirect jobs will be generated, and this industry will be the largest job provider. The tourism development will solve the increasing unemployment problem in the Northeast as it would generate huge direct and indirect jobs, create consumer markets, encourage start-ups and generate revenues for the state, he added.
The study has further suggested the encouragement of e-tourism and brand building for the entire tourism industry as also the identification of prospective tourists and the creation of destination videos that appeal to the right tourists.
Innovation in tourism, as elsewhere, is indeed a collaborative action between governments, academia, corporations, micro, small and medium enterprises and startups, investors, supporting business partners and other stakeholders will be a boon for attracting domestic as well as international tourists.
The study has tabulated and highlighted 20 facts about the Region which together will help in developing the Northeast as a 'destination for tourists. These include "the sun can be seen first, the largest & smallest river islands, availability of golden/muga silk, the largest weaving village, a haven for one-horned rhinos, unique mothers'-run market, the wettest place, largest electric guitar ensemble, floating palace, etc".
Stressing the need for a 'tourism market', the study says, a marketing plan is truly the road map for attracting tourists. It needs budget allocation for promotional activities and at the end of each tourism season, one can use the marketing plan to set goals and make changes for the next season.
Since tourism marketing nationally and internationally is expensive, therefore, the tourism promotional agencies set by the state governments should jointly undertake the responsibility.
Jigish said BillMart has already launched an MSME GAIN (growth and intelligence network) with a vision to benefit one crore micro, small, and medium enterprises and start-ups with 100 crore hours of knowledge up-gradation by 2024. The endeavour is to empower businesses to decide the most suitable and customized financial solutions for their businesses.
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