Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has called for promoting the concept of “home-stay” tourism in Northeast. Citing the success of such experiment in States like Sikkim and Meghalaya, he said, such exclusive and personalized approach does not only increase the tourist inflow, but also generates new avenues of livelihood for local youth and families.
Dr Jitendra Singh discussed the progress of work on Sikkim’s Pakyong Airport with the Governor of Sikkim, Shriniwas Patil, who is currently on a visit to the union capital and who had called on at the Minister’s office. He said, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself, during one of the monthly “Pragati” video interactions with State Chief Secretaries, expressed the need to expedite the project.
With Gangtok already flooded with tourists from across the world, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the presence of an airport will make the accessibility more convenient and will increase the number of tourists manifold. Similarly, Shillong is currently connected through a commercial helicopter service from Guwahati, but with the upgradation of the local airport, there will be a boost to the tourist in flow.
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that during his recent visits to some of the scenic spots in Meghalaya and other States, he came across lot of tourists from outside preferring an accommodation within the home premises of local households which not only gives them a feeling of homeliness and privacy but also familiarizes them with the local ambiance. At the same time, for the household family on the other hand, this concept of ‘home stay” tourism becomes an added as well as substantial source of income.
With the tourist season having got disrupted in Kashmir, Dr Jitendra Singh observed,there was unmanageable rush of tourists during the last summer to resorts like Manali, Mussoorie, Ooty, etc. With proper planning and tour management, he said, it should not be difficult to divert this tourist rush to vast landscapes of Northeast, which are actually tourist destinations almost throughout the year barring a few months of rainy season.
Governor Shriniwas Patil recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sikkim when he had named three exclusive local flower plants as “NAMO”, “SARDAR” and “DEENDAYAL”. He said, the people of the State keenly look forward to Prime Minister visiting the State again. He also deeply appreciated the keen interest taken by Dr Jitendra Singh in following up all the issues and development projects related to the State of Sikkim.
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