Agartala, Oct 27 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Monday that tourism holds great potential to generate employment and revenue in the Northeastern region, comprising eight states.

Attending the virtual meeting of the High-Level Task Force on Tourism, convened by him, the Chief Minister also emphasised the need to develop cultural and religious tourism across the Northeastern states, along with improving communication infrastructure, enhancing investment in the tourism sector, and ensuring tourist safety and hospitality.

An official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the meeting discussed various aspects to promote tourism in the Northeastern states. The virtual meeting was presided over by the Minister of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma, his Sikkim counterpart Prem Singh Tamang, and Chief Ministers of various other Northeastern states participated in the virtual meeting, the official said.

He said that during the meeting, a well-organised draft report on the development of tourism in the Northeastern states was presented by Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma.

Following the presentation, Tripura Chief Minister, while participating in the discussion, stated that significant progress has been achieved in Tripura’s tourism industry. Highlighting various initiatives and achievements in the tourism sector, Saha said that the draft report elaborately discussed potential areas and planning for the development of tourism in the Northeastern region.

During the meeting, DoNER Minister Scindia said that a draft report on trade development in the Northeastern states had earlier been presented under the chairmanship of Tripura Chief Minister. He also highlighted that in promoting tourism, states should plan not only for their own regions but also with a broader national and global perspective.

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his remarks, said that tourism plays a vital role in strengthening the global and national economy.

He stressed that developing tourism is essential for enhancing a state’s visibility on the global stage and for creating employment opportunities.

Shekhawat urged the Chief Ministers of all Northeastern states to take proactive measures to promote the tourist destinations in their respective states. Many senior officials of different Northeastern states were present in the virtual meeting.

The DoNER ministry had constituted several High-Level Task Forces to identify key interventions and formulate actionable short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies for the integrated development of the North East Economic Corridor.

The High-Level Task Forces were constituted following the 72nd plenary session of the North-Eastern Council (NEC) held in November last year in Agartala. Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over the NEC plenary session.

–IANS

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