GUWAHATI: 575 per cent increase in tourist arrivals has been recorded by Assam in 2022-23, according to chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, after inaugurating a resort at Sonapur in the outskirts of the city here, Sarma tweeted, “Over 1 cr tourists visited Assam in FY 2023, a record growth of 575%!
He also posted: “To augment better tourism infrastructure, I was glad to inaugurate a beautiful 200-room-resort built by the Mayfair Group near Guwahati. My best wishes to the management.”
According to Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) MD Padmapani Bora, around 17.5 lakh domestic arrivals had been recorded in 2021-22.
Bora also informed that, of the 11.8 million tourists who visited the Northeast, Assam’s contribution was about 10 million. According to Bora, the numbers reflected the tourists’ growing interest in Assam.
The streamlining of the state’s tourism sector, including providing a “robust” website with detailed information about a destination and online booking facilities were attributed by Bora to the rise in tourist arrivals in the state. “The ease of doing business and the prevailing peace are important factors driving growth in the tourism sector," said Bora.
Moreover, the rise in numbers of tourists can be attributed to the zero deaths recorded among rhinos in the last few years. Only recently, the carcass of a rhino was found near Kaziranga with its horn sawn off. It is the first case of poaching in nearly two years.
After Himanta Biswa Sarma came to power, occupying the CM’s chair, he had ordered a task force under the leadership of Spl DGP GP Singh. The armed task force, comprising Assam Police personnel, forest guards and local NGOs was formed to thwart the evil designs of poachers hell- bent on killing the unique one- horned rhino for its horn, which fetches a hefty amount in the illegal international wildlife trade.
Most of the tourists headed to the Northeast region of the country, have Kaziranga National Park on their itinerary. A large number of such tourists include Assam’s pristine nature in their must-do list.
Located in Assam at a distance of 194 km from Guwahati, the Kaziranga National Park is a world heritage site and arguably India's finest wildlife sanctuary. The wildlife park is famous for its one-horned rhinoceroses. In fact, two thirds of the world's rhino population can be found here. Tourists have also sighted tigers, buffaloes, deer and other wildlife in the Park.
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