Guwahati: The cost of air travel to pristine destinations in the Northeast has raised concerns among travel agencies and hotel operators, prompting calls for government intervention.
During a B2B meet at the International Tourism Mart in Shillong, travel agents revealed that the airfare from Delhi to Bangkok on December 1 stands at Rs 11,470 (one-way), while flights from Delhi to Shillong are priced at approximately Rs 14,974.
Entrepreneurs in the tourism industry from various Northeast states emphasised that airfares from Delhi/Mumbai to Bangkok are notably more affordable than those to regional capitals such as Shillong or Agartala.
Acknowledging the higher domestic fares, a Guwahati-based tour operator stated, “We understand this is due to the higher number of travelers going to Bangkok. We urge the Government of India to intervene and establish a cap on domestic fares, as it seems unfair that they are more expensive than international destinations.”
In response to such concerns, the Union Tourism Ministry has allocated over Rs 1,300 crore for 16 projects in the Northeast under the Swadesh Darshan (SD) scheme, with an additional 15 projects underway as part of SD 2.0, according to officials according to a PTI report.
Officials highlighted that 15 tourist destinations in the Northeast are being developed under SD 2.0, with a particular emphasis on religious tourism as a major motivator for travel. Two schemes, Sohra and Shillong, have been allocated for Meghalaya under SD 2.0, with an investment of up to Rs 50 crore.
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Furthermore, the ministry has sanctioned eight projects worth Rs 256.45 crore for the integrated development of identified pilgrimage destinations in the Northeast under the PRASHAD scheme.
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