GUWAHATI: In a significant development, the Assam Cabinet on Monday evening accorded industry status to the state’s tourism sector, a move which will open the doors for units under the tourism sector to be included in thrust areas and avail incentives provided under the State Industrial Policy.
While hotels and resorts above the three-star category and river cruises were included under thrust areas of Assam Industrial Policy, now many new tourism units such as heritage hotels, bungalows, camping sites, restaurants, amusement parks, ropeways, museums, tour operator services, adventure parks, water sports, et al, will also be included in the thrust areas of the industrial policy.
The approval by the state Cabinet will further entitle the tourism units and sector as a whole to receive the benefits available under the Investment and Industrial Policy of Assam which will put due impetus on the growth of tourism sector in the state.
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Addressing mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting here, Assam tourism minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said that the state has tremendous potential for becoming a tourist hub for both domestic and international tourists and can become a prime contributor to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The industry status accorded to the tourism sector will bring a paradigm shift to the growth of tourism-based economy of the state.
Substantiating his view, the minister said, “The tourism sector will receive ample amounts of private investments due to the new status received which will facilitate incentives, subsidies, reimbursements, etc for the investors in accordance with the industry policy. Eventually these investments will create new employment opportunities.”
He also said that infrastructure could be developed through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, which will contribute to the overall development of a region.
Notably, the policy aims at mobilising sustainable eco-friendly investment through capital formation and creation of gainful employment.
Only last month, the Assam government had announced a new tourism policy with an aim to create a policy framework and strategic roadmap to strengthen tourism support segments and its sub-sectors.
The tourism policy was unveiled on the sidelines of ‘Assam Tourism Road Show 2022’, hosted by the state tourism department. The roadshow featured panel discussions, audio video presentations apart from business-to-business interactive sessions to woo entrepreneurs and investors to the state.
Prepared after extensive consultations with the World Bank and stakeholders at every stage of its preparation, the Assam Tourism Policy 2022 aims to guarantee and safeguard the effective standardisation of processes and practices, to foster uniformity which can result in sustainability and an overall improvement in the quality of tourism products.
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“Our goal with this new policy is to enable the world to view it from the point of view of the attraction. The presence of pristine water, forests, mountains, and rivers provides the state with limitless possibilities in the field of tourism. The new tourism policy reflects the same goal. Assam is sure to enchant the travellers with what it has to offer at every nook and corner. For investors, we have also come up with special packages,” Baruah said.
The mission of the policy is “to create a policy framework and strategic roadmap in collaboration with central ministries, various state government departments, local communities and tourism stakeholders to improve the tourism sector in Assam, to support the private sector engaged in tourism in the state, and to strengthen tourism support segments and its sub-sectors”.
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