Assam’s Tourism Policy 2022—Proactive Agenda for Sustainable Growth

The Department of Tourism, Government of Assam, on the sidelines of ‘Assam Tourism Road Show 2022’ launched the Assam Tourism Policy 2022, in consultation with the World Bank and various stakeholders and industry experts. The policy’s fundamental guiding principle is to encourage sustainability and foster responsible tourism to make Assam a sustainable and responsible tourism destination.

Updated: November 24, 2023 13:59 IST

Assam’s Tourism Policy 2022—Proactive Agenda for Sustainable Growth

Assam’s new tourism policy, titled ‘Assam Tourism Policy 2022’, aims to guarantee and safeguard the effective standardisation of processes and practices, to foster uniformity which can result in sustainability and an overall improvement of tourism products.

The strategy also promotes responsible tourism, to bring together all stakeholders to share responsibility for creating a better environment for people to live and visit.

Mission
The mission of the policy is to create a policy framework and strategic roadmap in collaboration with central ministries, various state government departments, local communities, and tourism stakeholders to improve the tourism sector in Assam, and to support the private sector to engage in tourism in the state and to strengthen tourism support segments and its sub-sectors.

Key strategic objectives
The key strategic objectives of the newly-launched Policy include enhancing the contribution of tourism to Assam’s economy, ensuring round the year footfall of tourists, spreading tourist visitation or expenditure to lesser-known destinations, integrating traditional cultural festivals and developing new tourism-oriented products in sustainable and responsible ways.

Private sector–led growth
The Policy lays special emphasis on the private-sector-led growth tourism industry. The public sector will play an active role as an enabler and facilitator in this endeavour to smooth the execution of projects. The presence of pristine water, forests, mountains, and rivers provides the state with limitless possibilities in the field of tourism and the policy aims to provide ample opportunities to capitalise on this for investors for whom special packages have been created.

Jobs for Youth & Women Empowerment
An important aim of the policy is to spur Assam’s Department of Tourism to facilitate on-the-job training to be provided by employers for local employees in hotels and resorts. These programs will also ensure the advancement of women for management and leadership positions in their companies and encourage employers to provide childcare support and safe transport for female workers, particularly those working at night. Particular efforts will be made to train women in traditionally male-dominated positions such as guides, cooks, waiters, and drivers, and provide recognition to firms that encourage women in these positions.

With the branding of ‘Awesome Assam’ and the electronic media bringing stories of the region to pan-India viewers, people have now realised that tourism in Assam is beyond tea, and rhinos.

In 2022-23, Assam witnessed a footfall of over one crore domestic travellers, registering a staggering 575 per cent growth in tourist arrivals. It was a massive jump from the 17,00,000-visitor figure of 2021-22 and 1,350,000 in 2020-21, according to the state government. The state has also recorded a sizeable increase of 783 percent in foreign tourists this year.