Chandan Brahma
The East-west corridor is going to be completed by next year, and even though the air connectivity has improved, we still need more air connectivity. We have been discussing the situation with the civil aviation ministry. About the safety of tourists, let me assure you that we are ready to provide every kind of security to the tourists. Foreign tourists are now looking for new destinations in India to explore and NE has the potential to be that new destination for them. All we need to do is to develop the infrastructure. The Assam government is coming up with a tourism policy and a slew of initiatives such as river taxis, caravan services, a golf course and a luxury cruise with 5-star facilities on the Brahmaputra river. We have great potential to develop tea tourism and golf tourism. The Assam International Tourism Carnival that will be held in January next year at Guwahati is a great way ahead for the region as more than 20 countries are expected to participate in the carnival. Also, it is important to note that public private partnerships are the way forward for tourism development and we are keen to implement such partnerships.