Tourism Witnesses Steady Growth With Rising Footfall In Northeast Festivals

Assam recently celebrated the Kaziranga International Tourism Mart, where both domestic and international tourists participated. Tourism has always been a vital economic backbone for any state or country, and the Northeast is known for its state tourism festivals, such as the Hornbill Festival (Nagaland), Cherry Blossom Festival (Meghalaya), Ziro Festival (Arunachal Pradesh), Falcon Festival (Assam), and the Brahmaputra Carnival. 

In 2023-24, the tourist footfall included 7,041,206 domestic and 26,129 foreign tourists. By March 2025, the current year's count will be finalized.   

"Every year, the footfall is growing. A minimum of 1 crore domestic tourists will visit this year, and foreign tourist numbers are also increasing. The Kaziranga Tourism Mart is one of the best tourism marts," former Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah told Business North East (BNE).  

The Kaziranga International Tourism Mart witnessed the participation of 205 tour operators, travellers, and influencers. Current Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah further mentioned that festivals like the Falcon Festival and the Brahmaputra Carnival are all set to become significant economic drivers through tourism.  

"The hospitality here is very nice. Whether in hotels or outside, people greet us warmly. It's truly a wonderful experience in Assam," a tourist from Malaysia shared while talking about their experience in the Northeast.

On the other hand, Saswat Partha Sharma, the General Secretary of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Assam (HRAA), shared how tourism plays a key role in generating employment for the youth. 

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"We have 135 members representing hotels and restaurants. We thrive on sustainable and practical tourism. The hospitality industry generates huge employment opportunities, and we aim to represent Assam on a larger scale. Government initiatives should be appreciated, as they play a crucial role in regrowing the hospitality sector," he said, emphasizing that the industry had suffered the most during the lockdown and was among the last to recover.