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'Bed and Breakfast' for North-east proposed

         New Delhi: The North-Eastern States have been urged to promote a 'Bed and Breakfast Scheme' to enable local communities to receive visitors and plan for the development of their tourist attractions. Addressing the third North-East Business Summit here today, Union Tourism Secretary AK Mishra has urged said the North-East is being projected as an important tourist destination in the country through aggressive domestic and international media campaigns. The Central Government has encouraged participation of the North- Eastern states in major domestic and international fairs and festivals. They are provided free of cost space, in the Indian pavilion at these festivals, he added. Guarding against the adverse impact of mass tourism on fragile eco-systems of the region, Mishra said emphasis should be placed on promotion of responsible and controlled tourism. "There is great scope for developing niche tourism products such as river, tea, wildlife, adventure, heritage and eco-tourism in the region. We have something to learn from Bhutan in this regard - the way it has promoted limited but high value tourism," he said.

          Expressing concern over the inordinate delay in the implementation of projects in the region, he said, this would result in skewed utilization of funds, non-completion of projects and cost escalation. Mishra pointed out that "there is a need for adoption of a pragmatic approach among the North-Eastern States specially for long term lease of land for facilitating investments in the private sector projects". He further emphasized on community participation in tourism projects in the region. The communitisation programme of tourism projects in Nagaland is worth emulating by other North-Eastern states. Mishra stressed on the use of local material for building tourist bungalows, guesthouses and restaurants as it would lend an aesthetic and unique ambience, setting apart the tourist products of this region. Such an approach for rural tourism projects would make it very attractive for international tourists, searching for the authentic experience, he concluded.
-April 11,  2007