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After BJP seals victories in northeast, an Airbnb boost for tourism in the region

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A tripartite pact was signed between Airbnb, North East Council and North East Tourism Development Council, a move aimed at building micro entrepreneurship in the region.

New Delhi: Weeks after the ruling BJP captured almost the entire northeast, the central government has taken a public-private initiative to give tourism a push in the region.

A tripartite agreement was signed Monday between the global hospitality network, Airbnb, North East Council and North East Tourism Development Council, a move aimed at building micro entrepreneurship in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, minister for Department of Northeastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh said the region’s potential for tourism was unexplored because of difficulty of accessibility.

“Soon, the region will see greater intra-state connectivity, apart from inter-region, for which we are in talks with Pawan Hans (helicopter company),” he said.

The MoU is aimed at boosting tourism in the region through promotion of homestays even as private players have been organising sustainable tourist trails, inclusive of rural homestays, in the region for a couple of years now.

Piran Elavia, whose travel company ‘Kipepeo’ ties ups with homestay communities in Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim, says Airbnb would greatly benefit the local community. “This would certainly motivate the locals to open up their homes. However, the issue of internet connectivity will have to be addressed for Airbnb to be successful,” he said.

Moreover, it’s only a few places in the region like Gangtok or Shillong that have a support infrastructure for tourism. “About 30,000 visitors came for the Shirui Lily festival held in the small town of Ukhrul in Manipur’s hill district but there were hardly any hotels or homestay,” said Ram Muivah, secretary of North Eastern Council, the nodal agency for the economic and social development in the region.

In the absence of it, people had to travel everyday from the capital city, Imphal, about 87 kms away, he added.

For a long time, the inner line permit — a special permit for movement applicable to some NE states —— posed as a severe impediment for tourists. S.N. Pradhan, joint secretary at DoNER ministry, told ThePrint that the home ministry has relaxed the norms.

“There is a communication gap of the recent changes because of which it is far more conducive now for people to travel inside,” he said. A source at the MHA said that tourists can easily travel inside the states with restrictions imposed only on travelling within 30 to 60 kilometers from the international border.

Airbnb prizes itself as a community based and entrepreneur-led global network, which has demonstrated a successful tie-up with members of SEWA, a trade union of women in the Rann of Kutch, who opened up their homes for tourism last year.

“The partnership with SEWA will be extended to the northeast, where we have identified 25 homes that will come on to the platform,” Amanpreet Bajaj, country head of Airbnb, told ThePrint.

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