Mizoram: First ever International Tourism Mart inaugurated in Aizawl

Aizawl: Union Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the International Tourism Mart (ITM) in Aizawl on Thursday evening.

The mega tourism event is being organised jointly by the Union Tourism Ministry and Mizoram tourism department to highlight the tourism potential of the Northeast in domestic and international markets.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the DoNER Minister claimed that peace has been restored in some troubled areas of the northeast due to a substantial development implemented by the NDA government in the region.

He said the Union government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, is giving priority to infrastructural development in the northeast region.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, substantial developments have taken place in the northeast in the last 8 years like air, road, telecom, and cultural connectivities. With infrastructure connectivities and developmental activities taking place, we can now see peace in some troubled areas in the region,” Reddy said.

He said that people are expecting development as the situation is now peaceful and due to this the Centre has taken a number of initiatives for developmental activities in the NE region.

He said the Centre has been developing 100 roadside amenities, including viewpoints, in the northeast and 9 of them will be constructed in Mizoram. 

The International Tourism Mart will focus on ‘priorities of G20 for tourism track’, as India will assume a yearlong presidency of the influential group from December 1 to November 30 next year, Reddy said. 

“We have to use this occasion (G-20 meetings) to showcase our cultural richness. Our focus will be to increase the global Investments not only in the hospitality industry but also to promote entertainment centers, adventure tourism, cruise tourism, and wellness tourism,” Reddy, who also holds the Tourism and Culture portfolios, said while addressing the mart at R. Dengthuama Hall on the southern outskirts of Aizawl. 

More than 200  meetings of G-20 will be held in the country across 50 cities, including the capitals of Northeastern states, according to the Union Minister. 

The G-20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies.

Reddy said that the northeastern region has great tourism potential, which is yet to be explored. 

He said that the Union Tourism Ministry placed special importance on the development and promotion of tourism in the Northeastern states.

The Union Minister also said that the Centre has planned to set up a National Digital Tourism Mission to promote tourism in the country.

“Today as we are gathered here for the ITM, we must come together and discuss new ideas to promote the tourism sector within the Northeast region as we get ready to preside over G 20 countries also. We must work towards positioning India as one of the leaders in the tourism sector by 2047,” Reddy said.

The International Tourism Marts are organised in the northeastern states on a rotation basis.

Mizoram is hosting this mart for the first time this year. The earlier editions of this mart have been held in Guwahati, Tawang, Shillong, Gangtok, Agartala, Imphal, and Kohima.

This time the mart will include presentations by the eight northeastern states on their tourism potential, cultural heritages, and sightseeing visits to a tourist resort at Reiek, about 95 km from Aizawl. 

It will also include business-to-business (B2B) meetings where buyers from different regions of the country will engage in one-on-one meetings with sellers from the northeast region. 

Also, an exhibition including the display of beautiful handicrafts and handlooms is being organised at Assam Rifles ground to showcase the products of respective participating states. 

Also read | Some G20 meetings planned across NE region, Aizawl to host one