Ministry of Tourism to boost Northeast tourism through promotion, infrastructure & connectivity
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Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat detailed the comprehensive efforts of the Ministry for the northeast region in Lok Sabha. The government’s latest initiatives focus on bridging connectivity gaps, modernising infrastructure, and expanding B2B networking opportunities.
The Ministry of Tourism has reaffirmed its commitment to the Northeastern Region (NER) through a multi-pronged strategic approach aimed at positioning the region as a high-potential destination for both domestic and international travellers. The government’s latest initiatives focus on bridging connectivity gaps, modernising infrastructure, and expanding B2B networking opportunities. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat detailed the comprehensive efforts in Lok Sabha.
The International Tourism Mart (ITM) continues to serve as the region’s flagship B2B platform. The latest edition, held in Gangtok, Sikkim (November 2025), facilitated critical engagement between Northeastern tourism entrepreneurs and global stakeholders, fostering collaboration across the eight states. This collaborative ecosystem enables tourism entrepreneurs, media representatives, and government stakeholders to foster meaningful interactions and long-term partnerships.
Incredible India Digital Platform-The Ministry of Tourism revamped the Incredible India website as IIDP in September 2024 to engage the visitors across web and social media platforms. The content on the Incredible India Website is available in Hindi, English and UN languages. The website features tourism destination in the North East States to promote tourism in NER.
Ministry of Tourism under the schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan’, ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’, ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’ provides financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations/Central Agencies, Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI Scheme), Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) for the development of tourism related infrastructure and facilities at various tourism destinations in the country including North Eastern Region. The Ministry of Tourism has now revamped the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations, following a destination & tourism centric approach.
Beyond infrastructure, the Ministry is committed to elevating operational standards through the Swachhta Action Plan. In coordination with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, hundreds of cleanliness-awareness activities have been executed across tourist sites, engaging students and industry stakeholders alike. These efforts, combined with the observance of annual campaigns like Swachhta Hi Sewa, ensure that the regional tourism environment meets the high expectations of international visitors. By maintaining these standards, the Ministry reinforces the region’s reputation as a responsible and clean destination for high-value tourism.
For effective air connectivity at PAN Indian basis including the States of NER, the Ministry of Civil Aviation launched the RCS-UDAN scheme to make regional air travel affordable, and the Ministry of Tourism has collaborated with it by extending Viability Gap Funding under the Champion Service Sector Scheme to improve air links to key tourist locations, including in the North Eastern Region. Under this initiative, the following NER routes have been included as Tourism RCS routes: Dibrugarh–Dimapur, Dimapur–Dibrugarh, Dimapur–Imphal, Imphal–Dimapur, Agartala–Aizawl, Aizawl–Agartala, Dibrugarh–Imphal, Imphal–Dibrugarh, Hollongi–Guwahati and Guwahati–Hollongi.
