A bit of fun, a bit of work

 

The eighth edition of the popular North East Festival was held as a hybrid event in Guwahati and streamed live via Facebook and YouTube channels. Experts also deliberated on how the region can be developed as a tourism destination, agreeing that easing of movement between the different states would boost travel.

Hazel Jain

It was not just fun and dance at the annual two-day North East Festival that took place at Radisson Blu Hotel, Guwahati on December 19, 2020. It was held with support from the Ministry of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region), Government of India and the Government of Assam. Arijit Purkayastha, Festival Organiser and Chapter Chairman for North East, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), said, “This edition of the festival will be remembered as the first festival in the country which adapted the virtual model while having a physical event, paving the way for the event industry and showing to the rest of India how such big events can be organised while following all COVID protocols.”

Focus on luxury travellers

Hitting the nail on its head, Deba Kumar Mishra, Director Tourism, Government of Assam, said that luxury travellers from cities is a good target audience.

“Our focus is more on local and domestic tourists. But we need creatively planned projects which will attract and appeal to more people. The Northeast region shares borders with many countries and it is an incredible boon. Assam is close to West Bengal and has five international borders which give us an edge. We need more promotion of eco-cultural tourism and even medical tourism. We need to welcome high-end travellers from Mumbai, Delhi, Telangana, etc,” he said.

SpiceJet mulls seaplane service for Northeast

Speaking on the sidelines of the festival, Santanu Kalita, CEO, Spicejet –Sea Plane department, said, “Seaplanes can bring a revolution in the tourism sector, especially in the Northeast which is one of the most beautiful natural lands in India. We will reflect on the planned fly-scheme for Guwahati to Kaziranga to Dima Hasao, etc. We have sufficient eight months to set the fly-plan scheme which will help tourism flourish in the region.” Kalita played a key role in getting the maiden seaplane service of the country off the ground in Kevadia, Gujarat.