The Centre plans to promote the region as an ‘adventure tourism’ destination to increase the flow of tourists, particularly foreign tourists, said Union minister of state for tourism K Chiranjeevi.

“We know not all the roads are in good condition in the region. But not all tourists complain this as many like adventure tourism. The region can be a great destination for adventure tourism. If we can promote the region as an adventure tourism destination before the world, we can surely attract foreign tourists in the region,” said Chiranjeevi at the three day ‘International Tourism Mart’ which concluded here on Sunday.

The actor-turned politician minister is hopeful that flow of foreign tourist into the region will increase by 20 per cent in next 2 years and by 100 per cent by next 7-8 years, although that sounded very unrealistic. The region registered 59,000 foreign tourists in 2011, out of 6.6 lakh tourists that visited the country in the same year. 

Having reined the world of cinema for many years, Chiranjeevi said he would surely use his contacts in the film industry to also promote the North Eastern region as a film shooting destination. “I will try to sit and convince the film fraternity to come and shoot here. I will try to learn what are the constraints on their part for shooting here and try to ease them,” he said.

He said he was happy with recent decision of the Union home ministry to lift restriction of two-months gap on re-entry of foreign national into the region. He said for past few years, the Union tourism ministry had been spending more than 10 per cent of its budget in North Eastern region. Chiranjeevi said in the 11th Plan Rs. 560 crore were spent on building tourism infrastructure in the region.

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