[Assam] DoNER bid to lure tourists to NE(The Assam Tribune, 15.01.2008)

[Buljit Buragohain]

DoNER bid to lure tourists to NE
>From Our Spl Correspondent
 NEW DELHI, Jan 14 – In what could be described as a classic case of out-of-the-box thinking, the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), in a bid to boost tourism into the region, has convened a ‘National Conclave on Promoting North-east as a Destination for Leave Travel Concession (LTC) Travellers’ here on Wednesday. The first of its kind conclave has been organised in association with the Ministry of Tourism and is expected to be joined by over 500 delegates representing various tour operators, representatives from North-eastern States and Central Ministries.

The conclave will be inaugurated by Minister of DoNER, Panchayati Raj and Youth Affairs and Sports, Mani Shankar Aiyar.

Tour operators, trade bodies, besides officials from State tourism departments of the region are scheduled to make presentation on destination North-east. An exhibition has also been organised by the Ministry to highlight the places of tourist attraction.

Hoping to change the general perception about the North-east as a troubled and dangerous spot, the Ministry DoNER, in an innovative move, is planning to persuade the Central Ministries to encourage its employees to use their (LTC) to visit the region. 

The idea, which was first mooted by the Minister during the North East Business Summit here last year, gathered momentum after Aiyar began to actively pursue it with the Central Ministries. However, initial response to his proposal was not encouraging with the Union Finance Ministry declining to endorse it. 

Aiyar proposes to press the Centre to amend the guideline for LTC by including airfare for travel to the North-east. Currently, only senior government officials are entitled to travel by air on LTC. 

The idea is to woo the government employees with attractive packages to visit the region. Aiyar is eying the thousands of government employees and their families, who travel using their LTC, sources said. 

The Ministry has invited the Central Ministries to send delegations to participate in the conclave. And assuring them about safety of travelling to the region would be the Minister himself, who is going to allay apprehensions over the law and order situation in the region.

That not all the States in the region are militancy – affected is proposed to be highlighted. That even in those States hit by militancy, only certain pockets are affected is also going to be impressed upon, sources said. 

The State tourism departments of the NE States and the region’s tour operators are being prodded by the Ministry to come out with attractive packages for government employees to lure them to travel to the region using their LTC, the sources added.

As reported by newspapers, the response in the session on tourism in the North East Business Summit in Bangkok was so encouraging that Aiyar agreed to bring over a delegation of Thai tour operators, journalists and travel writers to the North-east. A suggestion had come from the Thai business body that the old linkages between the Thai and Ahom communities should be exploited to tailor packages to woo Thai tourists.

  (The Assam Tribune,15.01.2008)



       
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