Assam Tourism Deparment losses over Rs 400 crore amid protest against CAA 2019

Guwahati: Amid the violent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 protests in the state, the state's Tourism Department has faced a loss of over Rs 400 crore revenue collections during this period.

The tourism industry in Assam has been hit by the protests over CAA with many prospective domestic and foreign tourists who had cancelled the bookings to visit Assam and other parts of the North-Eastern region, informed Assam Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah.

"December month is the main tourism season of the state tourism sector and all the stakeholders involved in the tourism sector are always eagerly looking forward to this season. The main tourism season of the state starts from the month of November and continues till the month of January. A total of 4,504 foreign tourists had visited Assam during the month of December last year and around 4.25 lakh domestic tourists had visited the state during the period," Jayanta Malla Baruah said.

Jayanta Malla added, "If this type of situation arises then it has definitely affected our tourism sector and our revenue collection also. In 2018, the state tourism department had collected Rs 1,200-1,500 crore revenue and around 30 percent collected alone in the month of December. In this month we had collected around Rs 300-400 crore."

He also expressed his concern saying, "if this type of situation continues then it will affect the Tourism Sector next year also because this message has gone out that Assam is not safe."

"We have given emergency phone numbers and tried to extend our supports to the people who faced problems. People were stranded at many places and they were rescued. We are trying our best that they do not face any difficulty," Jayanta Malla Baruah adds.

He added further, "Our government and stakeholders concerned are trying to allay all the fears of the visitors."

Similarly, speaking to the media, the Greater Guwahati Tour Operator Drivers Association president Ratul Das said that the tour operators alone in Guwahati had faced a loss of Rs 5 crore in the last seven days during the violent protests.

"Around 2,000 small cars associated with the tour operators are in Guwahati alone and all vehicular movements were totally halted in the past seven days. More than 5,000-6,000 families are directly or indirectly involved with the tourism sector and they have faced a lot of problems," Ratul Das added.

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