Union MoS Suresh Gopi stresses on more development to tourism in Tripura; chairs review meeting

The Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi on Tuesday landed here at Agartala and chaired a meeting with the state tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury and the officials of the tourism department here at Agartala State Guest House.

During the meeting the MoS Suresh Gopi asked the Tripura government to act on the vision of the Central government, which is focused on development of religious and adventure tourism. He said that Tripura has immense potential for development of the tourism sector.

“There is a huge employment opportunity for the unemployed youth through the tourism industry. The unemployed should be encouraged to become self-employed through tourism,” he said. The Union Minister of State advised to effectively utilize the period from September to March in terms of tourism. He said that the period is marked as the peak season of tourism.

The Union Minister also advised to organize various events during this time especially going to villages and organizing festivals on various topics like food, culture etc. He said, other states of the country should also participate in these festivals. If some of the famous athletes of the country are included in them, this festival will become much more lively, he advised.

He however emphasized on ensuring that the natural beauty of the state is not destroyed. He said that special attention should be paid to ensure that the environment is not polluted in any way in enhancing and developing the tourism sector. He also laid emphasis on ensuring that tourists do not face any inconvenience when they come to the state.

Meanwhile, the state tourism minister Sushant Chowdhury said that the state government is working in the direction of the central government to develop the tourism industry. Director of Tourism Department and Managing Director of Tourism Development Corporation Prashant Badal Negi explained the activities of Tourism Department in detail. He said that the number of tourists arriving in the state is gradually increasing.

“545299 tourists visited the state during the 2023-24 financial year and among them, 469328 are natives and 75971 are foreign tourists,” he informed.

Secretary of the state tourism department Uttam Kumar Chakma has demanded the Union Minister of State for Tourism to take necessary measures to resume flights from Agartala to Aizawl, Shillong, Dibrugarh.