Assam is gearing up to lift COVID-related restrictions and help the tourism sector in all ways. Referring to this, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently stated that they will start lifting restrictions from November 1, as the COVID situation has considerably improved in the state.
While addressing a state government programme on the occasion of World Tourism Day, he also made an announcement of a relief package that will provide INR 2 lakh each to 142 tour operators and INR 25000 each to 605 guides, to help them overcome the losses caused by the pandemic.
The Chief Minister further added that they are continually working towards lifting all COVID-related restrictions from November 1 in the state, while making all efforts to make sure that a maximum number of people get vaccinated during that timeline. He is hopeful that the tourism industry will witness a boom in the coming days, and hoped that COVID would no longer be able to threaten the lives and livelihood of people around the world from 2022.
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To boost tourism-related activities in the region, Sarma elaborated on the need to promote less-explored destinations of Assam for outside visitors, and urged industry stakeholders not to keep the tourism circuit limited to only few known places and Kaziranga National Park. The state’s handloom, food, tribal culture, handicraft, and natural beauty must also be explored by travellers, he added.
Speaking on the similar lines, he urged tour operators to aggressively promote places in Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and other parts of the state. During this occasion, he also appreciated the Indian Railways’ initiative to start Vistadome service from Guwahati to New Haflong in Dima Hasao, which will likely help to promote this region in the tourism circuit.
