HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, Oct 12: Sivasagar district administration in association with the State Innovation and Transformation Ayog (SITA) organised a well-attended tourism conclave in Yuvadal Auditorium on Wednesday to give incentives to the moribund tourism sector despite having huge potential in the district. Inaugurating the conclave, the vice-chairman of SITA, Ramen Deka said that tourism in diverse modes has continued throughout the ages. He elaborated
on the various types of tourism such as religious tourism, stress-free tourism and entertainment tourism. He said that unlike earlier tourists who go for
pilgrimage, the present tourists go to different places for relaxation and entertainment. To promote tourism, he emphasised on the importance of hygiene and cleanliness and proper placement of toilets in and around tourist sites. He also stressed that in order to promote tourism there is a need to inculcate a sense of belongingness or ownership of the tourist spots.
Taking hints of Colombo, Sri Lanka, he said tea tourism could be promoted in that line and also to encourage setting up of economy hotels with well-equipped amenities.
Deka is of the opinion that with the sustainable development of any state, there is also a need to promote eco-tourism. He also added that the government is paving all ways to develop Sivasagar as a tourist heritage site and SITA is always ready to help them in that venture.
Earlier, Sivasagar deputy commissioner, Aditya Vikram Yadav welcomed the guests and hoped that the deliberations in the conclave will help to rediscover the great heritage of the district to put it firmly on the tourism map of India. He also highlighted the problems and future scopes of Sivasagar district during his speech.
Bitopan Neog, ADC, Sivasagar, in his audio-visual presentation, highlighted the important historical and ecological places of the Sivasagar district.
Dhiraj Vikash Gogoi, director, Assam Brahmaputra Cultural Discovery Exploration (ABCDE) narrated his exciting experience as a distinguished tour operator of the state from being an auto driver in Dibrugarh once. He showed with examples how one can realise his dream if he is confident in his ability and purpose.
Jayanta Sarmah, secretary, Heritage Conservation Society of Assam, said that the new generation must be given a lesson on the concept of heritage before teaching them ways to conserve it. He added that heritage can be divided into tangible and intangible. Historical buildings, and relics are tangible in nature while cultures, food habits, and customs of a community fall into the intangible category.
Chandan Nath, director, Centre for Tourism Studies, stressed the need for cooperation of all the stakeholders if tourism is to flourish as an industry in Assam.
Dr. Swapna Medhi, assistant professor, Sonapur College, in her speech, said that the involvement of the local community is as important as infrastructure. Neera Sarma, noted bamboo craft entrepreneur, spoke of her humble experience in the global ornament market through the bamboo craft industry.
