Post-Pandemic: Revamping prospects of Assam tourism

Assam since time immemorial has always been known as the Land of Red Rivers and Blue hills, and it is often believed that in this state of India, nature has lavishly bestowed her belongings.
Post-Pandemic: Revamping prospects of Assam tourism

Bishaldeep Kakati

(deep.kakati99@gmail.com)

Assam since time immemorial has always been known as the Land of Red Rivers and Blue hills, and it is often believed that in this state of India, nature has lavishly bestowed her belongings. The lush greenery accompanied by the mighty Brahmaputra that flows through most parts of the state, encircling areas from Sadia to Dhubri, undoubtedly makes the state a tourist hotspot. The state is also blessed by pilgrimages as well as places with architectural stone sculptures, some dating back even to the era of Mahabharata, be it the likes of Kamakhya Dhaam or the Madan Kamdev. Although, many of the places of the state are yet to be discovered by tourists across the nation and the globe, yet one often finds visitors storming in large numbers, in places like Majuli (the largest river island of the world) as well as the Kaziranga National Park famous for its one-horned rhinos. Therefore, it can be concluded that the tourism potential of Assam has not only made it popular at the international level but also in a strategic way has enhanced its economy. If we confabulate about the tourism of Assam, a strategic division of Assam Tourism can be classified into - Nature Tourism, Tea Tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, pilgrim tourism, adventure tourism, golf tourism, etc, and that is where if utilized properly, the tourism sector itself can also solve the unemployment issue of Assam to a great extent.

As per reports retrieved, in 1995, Assam had a total of 3,51,107 visitors, whereas, in 2019, Assam reported, 5,447,805.000 persons, thus, bringing forth a scenario of the subsequent increase in the graph of tourists visiting Assam with each passing year. The conspicuous fact is that an increase in the number of visitors further enhances the revenue the state receives through tourism and this is evident from the statistics that in 2017-18, Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) received earnings estimated at Rs 4.22 crore, much higher than that received in 2016-17, which was estimated at Rs 2.24 crore. But unfortunately, reports opined that Assam Tourism lost approximately Rs 400 crore revenue collection over Anti-CAA protests and the scenario got worsened when the global pandemic hit the country, which had a direct negative impact on the revenue generated by the state, and as a whole on the overall economy.

However, a state like Assam must understand the fact that apart from health, education, home, a sector like tourism has to be also taken care of and revamped in a new way, to not only once again boost the economy of the state but also to create more job opportunities for the unemployed. And for that, it is essential to not only find out newer improved strategies to strengthen the pillars of tourism that have been shaken by the pandemic but also find out the loopholes, if there are any, especially in terms of the policies undertaken by the government, in the previous years to enhance the overall tourism aspect of the state.

Speaking about newer strategies to improve tourism, the very first step that can be taken is to enhance the process of transmitting information in terms of both gathering and sharing the same. If looked closely, there are many undiscovered places in Assam, which are of historical, archaeological as well as religious importance and such places need to be popularized by not only making those places accessible in terms of transportation but also by bringing on to the table, the relevant and correct information about the same, so that people can know, develop their interest and later, physically visit the places, giving a boost to the tourism perspective. It is important to understand that in this era of global networking, proper marketing plays a very crucial role in attracting tourists. Thus, the government may enhance the use of social media, web portals or websites and blogs to improvise the marketing strategies of the tourism department. Being the backbone of a growing economy, the youth can be attracted and indulged in the process of tourism networking, to make concepts like "Awesome Assam" reach the global level. A young generation of influencers on social media can also be used as a medium of networking to share information about tourist attractions in terms of both their accessibility and means of transportation. To ensure the sustainability of the tourism industry, especially post-pandemic, it is important to conduct extensive research, based on proper documentation of ground-level data of the tourist hotspot to bridge the gaps between root level problems and policy-making for the same. The youth can be encouraged to join the process of policymaking as well as its implementation in tourism, via discussions, deliberations and debates. This would not only ensure the sustainability of the industry but would also open newer perspectives of employment generation. For instance, the Kaziranga National Park itself is giving opportunities for employment generation to the local people, starting from hospitality to communication to the local shops and stalls about ethnic items, food items etc in and around Kaziranga. Similarly, improving accessibility and transportation to other tourist spots as such can make tourism a flourishing and sustainable industry, and in the process improve ways of employment generation as well.

However, tourism in Assam has always faced numerous challenges due to the history of insurgency issues across the region. A majority of tourists refrain from visiting the places, under an impression that tourists can be easy targets to insurgents. Thus, the first challenge that remains is to remove such conceptions from the minds of targeted tourists and improve the law-and-order situation of the region. Another relatable challenge to the prospect of tourism is the lack of proper infrastructure which includes proper accommodation, communication and transportation etc. Hence these issues have to be solved at the ground level first to ensure an influx of tourists to the region.

Assam tourism has a history, dating back to the era of Mahabharata, which can be understood by knowing the history of areas like Mayong, Ashwaklanta, Pancha Pandav Mandir etc to name a few. Therefore, for a state having a tourism essence that dates centuries back, added to its natural beauty and ethnic diversity it is important for every dweller of the state as well as the government to formulate the right policies, rules and regulations to once again strengthen Assam tourism, especially after the pandemic, which remains the need of the hour.

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