[Assam] Assam tourism and its future -Editorial

[umesh sharma]

EDITORIAL 

    
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  Assam tourism and its future
  http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=apr0707\edit4
— Trailokya DekaThe State of Assam with many basic resources – unique natural beauty, different species of wildlife, religious places, historical sites, diverse attractive cultural heritage and friendly hospitable people is rightly called the paradise State. Its thick and dark forests, innumerable varieties of flora and fauna, melodious folk music, variety of delicious dishes, various items of handlooms and handicrafts are attracting people from different parts of the globe. Tourists from different highly developed parts of the world are familiar with the temple of Shakti-Devi-Kamakhya, elephant-safari of Kaziranga National Park and gentle one horned rhino of Pabitara wild life sanctuary.

It is the fastest growing industry in the world with an average growth of 5 per cent and contributing second highest amount of foreign exchange. This sector has been providing more than 10 per cent of the world GDP and more than 8 per cent of the world’s trade employment. The present 9 per cent growth of Indian economy also reflects surprising participation of tourism sector.

In this unexplored paradise of Assam there is immense chance of future prospect. The sector of tourism can provide a growth oriented market for the State where we have high incidence of poverty. But till today, tourism as an effective tool for alleviating poverty is not fully recognised. Tourism can also be implemented as a significant force for protection of environment, for preservation of cultural heritage, for creation of employment and in order to earn foreign exchange.

The integration of tourism and environment through eco-tourism may provide a influential tool for conservation of natural wildlife. Eco-tourism is a form of tourism that is inspired primarily by the natural history and the environment of an area. In the true sense, only the tourism sector has been looking forward to eco-friendly technologies or green technologies, so that there would be no harmful effect on the environment during various operations. Development of tourism sector is a changing approach from ‘production oriented technology’ to ‘eco-friendly technology’. It may be just a forward step towards green consumerism.

On November 23, 2004, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh flagged off the first ever Indo-ASEAN car rally at Guwahati. By this non-competitive car rally, the tourism sector of Assam along with the north-eastern States has entered a new phase. Again the recently concluded 33rd National Games was also a very hot chance for developing tourism. By taking the opportunity the Tourism department conducted regular complementary tour programmes of the players by employing nine trained guides and several others related persons during the Games. To attract tourists, there must be dissemination of information, infrastructural facilities, adequate railway network, affordable and reliable communication, clean and hygienic food and accommodation etc. Majority of the places of tourist attraction are not by side of the national highways and approach roads are very poor. This is a strong discouraging factor which works against inflow of visitors in the region. Again there is lack of
 coordination among several agencies like Department of Tourism and the department of Archaeology, little coordination among different public bodies and private sectors like tea industry, coal, oil etc. As a result stagnation has taken place in the tourism sector.

The government may offer fiscal and other incentives to private entrepreneurs to take up a host of tourism projects by making provisions for soft loan and reducing tax rates. Transport, accommodation and other logistics of tourism should be left to private sectors making the way for a healthy privatisation of the tertiary sector associated with tourism. Information about tourism in Assam should be made available to the foreign embassies and other diplomatic offices located in major Indian cities. Tourism websites should be updated in regular manner giving all details of information on tourism related services.

The State government should also take initiative for purchasing space in national dailies and for making focus on attractive places of tourist attraction and to give a positive perception to the visitors about the region. After internationalisation of Guwahati Airport visa-on-arrival policy should be implemented without delay.

Assam is sealable as a place of tourist destination. But obstructions in the flow of tourists into the region are many. Inner Line Permit, Restricted Area Permit, Prohibited Area Permit etc prevailing under the Ministry of Home Affairs posing a big threat to the flow of international as well as domestic visitors. Under these Permit Raj a foreigner intending to visit the region has to undergo a long arduous procedure for obtaining permission. The general impression is that any foreign or domestic visitor could be a soft target of insurgents and hence they are reluctant to undertake an adventurous journey to the State with a calculated risk. Again many tourists visiting Assam would like to visit Shillong and a number of places in Arunachal Pradesh like Tawang, Bomdila etc. There should be integrated approach to promote tourism in the region at a possible minimum cost.

Tourism has now become Assam’s core competency sector creating employment, enhancing production-productivity and contributing significantly towards development of the State. But to encase the opportunity and to reap the benefit a conducive social atmosphere is essential to develop tourism as viable sector which has greater potentiality. In this State with the development of traditional sector like agriculture and manufacturing, it is not possible to achieve the proper allocation of resources. Agriculture requires wider land resources which are becoming scarce and industry cannot be flourished for the lack of favourable social atmosphere and also for the lack of proper infrastucture and communication facilities.



Umesh Sharma

Washington D.C. 

1-202-215-4328 [Cell]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
 		
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