Disha Shah Ghosh - Mumbai In a press conference on Thursday, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury revealed a significant rise in tourist arrivals in Tripura, attributing the boost to former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly’s role as the state’s tourism brand ambassador since October last year.
Comparing figures from October to December in 2022-23 and 2023-24, Chowdhury highlighted the impressive growth in both the number of tourists and revenue. In 2022-23, 84,217 tourists, including 5,964 international visitors, generated revenue exceeding INR 1.2 crore. In the same period of 2023-24, the figures soared to 1,55,183 tourists, including 19,614 international arrivals, with revenue surpassing INR 1.23 crore.
Chowdhury emphasized the statistical evidence pointing to increased tourism since Ganguly’s ambassadorial appointment. The Tourism Minister also outlined progress and upcoming plans, including the establishment of 51 Log Huts at various tourist destinations, with 41 already operational and 10 more on the way. Plans for 15 Home Stay facilities, initialising at Narkelkunja and Jampui Hills, were also unveiled, with a goal to extend these facilities to every district.
Furthermore, four islands of Dumboor Lake, including Chitta Para, Amulya Sadhan Para, and Twin Island near Narkelkunja, are set to be developed as tourist hotspots. Financial support from the Asian Development Bank will be utilised for tourism infrastructure development at Chabimura, Sonamukhi in Kailashahar, Chaturdash Devata Temple, and Kasbeswari Kalibari.
Agartala and Unakoti have received approval under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 initiative, with allocated funds for their development. An ambitious plan to acquire a modern Houseboat for Dumboor Lake aims to further enhance the tourism experience in the region.
With Secretary U.K. Chakma and Director Tapan Das present at the press conference, these developments signal a comprehensive strategy to elevate Tripura’s tourism industry, making it more appealing to visitors.
