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Mizzima: Tourism affected in North
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Tourism affected in North East
By our correspondent
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
Guwahati, Oct. 16: The tourism industry in the North East of India is
likely to be affected severely as foreign tourists have started to
cancel their bookings in the wake of the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Travel agencies are concerned by the development as they have recently
undertaken large-scale investment in local infrastructure.
Hundreds of foreign tourists visit the region every year between
November and April to have a glimpse of wild life sanctuaries,
undulating forest coverage and historical monuments. Now, however, they
are reluctant to visit the region, so much so that the war in West Asia
is perceived to cause a major setback to the tourism industry in the
North East of India. Young entrepreneurs who have recently supported the
harnessing of the region's tourism potential continue to be optimistic
that the situation will improve soon.
A cross section of travel agencies and tour operators contacted by this
correspondent revealed that there have been substantial numbers of
cancellations of bookings by prospected visitors from countries like
Japan, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands due to alarm raised by
government agencies in many states about visits to the South Asian
region in the aftermath of the commencement of the war in Afghanistan.
Tourist-oriented enterprises, on the other hand, need to attract
tourists to the region soon in order to pay back their heavy investment
in local infrastructure projects.
.
"We will be finished if the situation doesn't improve soon because we
have invested heavily in our business", said a group of tour operators
in the North East Indian state of Meghalaya. They further said that
foreign tourists have shown a preference for visiting the hilly state,
which is known to be peaceful; even so, the tourism sector is now facing
a tough time.
In Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, too, the state governments rely on the
tourism business, which is attracted by these states' exquisite natural
beauty in order to generate revenue. Moreover, state governments need to
generate funds from the tourism sector in order to maintain wildlife and
game sanctuaries. In the face of the current situation, a reduction in
such funds is very likely.
A tour operator who runs a lodge in the famous Kaziranga National Park
of Assam found that, so far, about 30 percent of tourist bookings have
been cancelled ? a loss of business, which has become a matter of
concern.
Mr Arijit Purkayastha of Network Travels told this correspondent that a
group of 34 Japanese and 4 Americans who were supposed to come to the
region have cancelled their booking at the eleventh hour in view of
ongoing war in Afghanistan. Mr Purkayastha was, however, optimistic that
the situation will improve very soon.
"We are yet to receive confirmation about the arrival of foreign
tourists and hence we are in a fix", said Mr Barua of Rhino Travels. He
also expressed astonishment over the development saying it would
seriously impact on the tourism industry.
Despite the paucity of the infrastructure, the tourism industry in the
region has been gaining momentum due to the inflow of foreign tourists,
which adds a large sum of money to government coffers but recent
geopolitical developments are likely to affect the industry to a large
extent.
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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Tourism affected in North
East</font></font></b></center>
<p><font color="#FF0000">By our correspondent</font>
<br><font color="#FF0000">Mizzima News <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font>
<p><b><i>Guwahati, Oct. 16:</i></b> The tourism industry in the North East
of India is likely to be affected severely as foreign tourists have started
to cancel their bookings in the wake of the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Travel agencies are concerned by the development as they have recently
undertaken large-scale investment in local infrastructure.
<p>Hundreds of foreign tourists visit the region every year between November
and April to have a glimpse of wild life sanctuaries, undulating forest
coverage and historical monuments. Now, however, they are reluctant to
visit the region, so much so that the war in West Asia is perceived to
cause a major setback to the tourism industry in the North East of India.
Young entrepreneurs who have recently supported the harnessing of the region's
tourism potential continue to be optimistic that the situation will improve
soon.
<p>A cross section of travel agencies and tour operators contacted by this
correspondent revealed that there have been substantial numbers of cancellations
of bookings by prospected visitors from countries like Japan, Germany,
Britain and the Netherlands due to alarm raised by government agencies
in many states about visits to the South Asian region in the aftermath
of the commencement of the war in Afghanistan. Tourist-oriented enterprises,
on the other hand, need to attract tourists to the region soon in order
to pay back their heavy investment in local infrastructure projects.
<br>.
<br>"We will be finished if the situation doesn't improve soon because
we have invested heavily in our business", said a group of tour operators
in the North East Indian state of Meghalaya. They further said that foreign
tourists have shown a preference for visiting the hilly state, which is
known to be peaceful; even so, the tourism sector is now facing a tough
time.
<p>In Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, too, the state governments rely on the
tourism business, which is attracted by these states' exquisite natural
beauty in order to generate revenue. Moreover, state governments need to
generate funds from the tourism sector in order to maintain wildlife and
game sanctuaries. In the face of the current situation, a reduction
in such funds is very likely.
<p>A tour operator who runs a lodge in the famous Kaziranga National Park
of Assam found that, so far, about 30 percent of tourist bookings have
been cancelled ? a loss of business, which has become a matter of concern.
<p>Mr Arijit Purkayastha of Network Travels told this correspondent that
a group of 34 Japanese and 4 Americans who were supposed to come to the
region have cancelled their booking at the eleventh hour in view of ongoing
war in Afghanistan. Mr Purkayastha was, however, optimistic that the situation
will improve very soon.
<p>"We are yet to receive confirmation about the arrival of foreign tourists
and hence we are in a fix", said Mr Barua of Rhino Travels. He also expressed
astonishment over the development saying it would seriously impact on the
tourism industry.
<p>Despite the paucity of the infrastructure, the tourism industry in the
region has been gaining momentum due to the inflow of foreign tourists,
which adds a large sum of money to government coffers but recent geopolitical
developments are likely to affect the industry to a large extent.
<p> </html>
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