Increase number of roadshows and participation in travel shows in India and abroad – Debajit Borah
Low-level of awareness about Assam as a tourism destination and its plenty of tourism attractions is a big challenge before the state’s tourism sector, and this in turn is due to a lack of marketing and promotions, says Debajit Borah, President of the Tour Operators Association of Assam (TOAA). He urged the state government to increase tourism promotion to create awareness and recall the value of Assam among tourists.
Most people outside Assam know only about Kaziranga National Park, famous for its single-horned rhinos, but the state has much more to offer, says Borah, adding that there are about 17-18 wildlife sanctuaries in Assam but they are not very well known outside the state. Moreover, Assam also has river tourism facilities in the Brahmaputra River, but again there is little awareness about this among tourists outside the state, says Borah, who is also a director at Brahmaputra Cruise, a Guwahati-based cruise operating company.
“Assam is comparatively a very new destination in the global tourism market. To promote Assam as a popular destination among Indian and foreign tourists, the state government needs to enhance the budget for destination marketing,” says Borah. He added that his association has urged the state government to increase the budget for tourism promotion. The TOAA has also requested the state tourism department to increase the number of roadshows and participation in travel trade shows in India as well as abroad.
According to Borah, post-COVID-19, inbound tourism is yet to recover in the country; the current tourism recovery sector is driven mainly by the domestic market, and therefore, the focus of tourism promotion should be on the domestic market.
By Prem Kumar
