GUWAHATI: 13 journalists from different parts of Maharashtra are on a three-day visit to Assam from Thursday as an endeavour of the Press Information Bureau (PIB). On the first day of this tour, journalists visited Kamakhya Temple, one of the historic temples under the Riverine-based Religious Tourism Circuit under the government’s Sagarmala Programme.
To get an insight into the tourism potential of the state, the journalists visited the Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ATDC) office to have an interaction with the officials of the Assam Tourism Department. Kumar Padmapani Bora, Managing Director, ATDC Ltd., briefed the media team about various initiatives undertaken by the government for the development of the tourism sector in Assam. He said that Assam has huge potential for wildlife tourism, as there are seven national parks and 19 wildlife sanctuaries in the state. And the government is giving priority to the infrastructural development of the sector so that more tourists can visit these places.
Bora further said that the state has witnessed a nearly two-fold rise in the number of tourists arriving in the state compared to the past scenario. He informed that during the last financial year, around 10 million tourists visited the state, and most of them were from the states of West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The department targeted tourists from across the country and organised Brahmaputra Carnival, which aimed to captivate the attention of people from across the world by showcasing Assamese culture, traditions, handicrafts, and cuisine and offering adventure activities, he added. While discussing with the journalists, he said that Kamakhya temple in the city stands as the most visited destination, and on the other hand, Kaziranga National Park takes the lead in terms of attracting tourists. He informed the media team that Charaideo Maidams of Assam is India’s sole nomination for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the cultural category this year. The historic site, located in upper Assam, is known for pyramid-like mound burials of Ahom kings and queens, he added.
Later in the day, the media team visited the Press Club of Guwahati. Susmita Goswami, President of the Press Club, welcomed the group of journalists. The press team engaged with fellow journalists from Guwahati and exchanged their experiences in their respective states, stated a press release.
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