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As India deepens its Act East engagement, tourism offers the Northeast a powerful pathway to growth and Indo-Pacific connectivity
Northeast India stands at a critical juncture where geography meets opportunity. In light of India’s Act East Policy, the eight states of the Northeast are not only peripheral territories but also strategic connectors bridging South Asia with Southeast Asia. In this geopolitical context, tourism is an underutilised yet transformative lever for economic prosperity that aligns with the shared objectives of enhanced cross-border connectivity with the eastern neighbourhood, sustainable development, and inclusive growth.
The Northeast Region (NER) shares over 5,300 km of international borders with neighbouring countries, serving as India's gateway to the wider Indo-Pacific. However, its economic potential remains largely untapped. In 2024, the region accounted for 0.43 percent of India's domestic tourist visits and 1.17 percent of foreign tourist arrivals. Despite the eight NER states collectively hosting 12.78 million domestic and 0.244 million foreign tourists, these figures represent modest growth yet pale in comparison to mainstream destinations.
The Northeast Region (NER) shares over 5,300 km of international borders with neighbouring countries, serving as India's gateway to the wider Indo-Pacific.
This paradox of potential versus performance underscores a challenge and an opportunity. The region's tourism sector has demonstrated its capacity for rapid transformation. Mizoram recorded a remarkable surge from 0.219 million tourists in 2023–24 to 0.524 million tourists in 2024–25. Industry projections suggest a 20-25 percent surge in tourist arrivals for 2025. However, the economic multiplier effects of tourism development extend beyond visitor numbers. The sector generates employment across multiple skill levels, from hotel staff and tour guides to entrepreneurs and small business owners. According to estimates, India's travel and tourism sector contributes approximately 7 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supports around 42 million jobs domestically. For the resource-constrained Northeast, tourism is a relatively low-barrier entry point, particularly for the economic participation of women and youth. These demographic groups are explicitly targeted by development initiatives such as the PM-DevINE scheme, which sanctioned 35 projects worth INR 4,857.11 crore for the region's development.
The convergence of tourism development with broader connectivity initiatives creates synergies that amplify economic impact. India's Act East Policy emphasises proactive engagement and deeper integration with the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Infrastructure projects such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, and the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Initiative are fundamentally positioned to reshape the Northeast's accessibility as a critical transit corridor.
The BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, once fully operationalised, will enable the seamless movement of tourists and goods across four countries.
These connectivity projects do more than reduce travel time; they create tourism corridors that integrate multiple destinations across borders. The BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement, once fully operationalised, will enable the seamless movement of tourists and goods across four countries. According to the World Bank's estimates, implementing the MVA will increase regional trade in South Asia by nearly 60 percent while expanding tourism markets. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) also identifies tourism as a priority sector for cooperation.
The United States (US) Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, with its focus on resilient supply chains, clean energy infrastructure, and inclusive economic growth, creates an enabling environment for sustainable tourism development.
The Northeast's competitive advantage in tourism lies in its diversity—ecological, cultural, and experiential. Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, attracted 327,493 visitors in 2023–24, generating INR 881.8 lakh in revenue and marking the highest footfall since its establishment. The park's iconic one-horned rhinoceros and diverse wildlife demonstrate the global appeal of the region's natural assets.
Meghalaya's living root bridges (Jingkieng Jri), recently included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list, exemplify the region's unique human-nature symbiosis. These bridges, created by guiding the aerial roots of rubber fig trees across streams, represent centuries-old indigenous engineering that combines functionality with sustainability. Found in 72 villages across East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts, they embody the culture-nature convergence that distinguishes the Northeast's tourism offerings.
Cultural tourism opportunities abound through festivals such as Meghalaya's Cherry Blossom Festival, which attract domestic and international audiences seeking authentic cultural experiences. The region's Buddhist heritage, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang Monastery—the largest Buddhist monastery in India and second largest globally—connects with the broader Buddhist tourism circuits linking India with Southeast and East Asia.
The Rising Northeast Summit 2025, organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, highlighted the government's commitment to transforming the region into a manufacturing and services hub with enhanced connectivity to ASEAN and beyond. Infrastructure development has accelerated dramatically: operational airports increased from 6 in 2014 to 19 in 2024, railway networks expanded by 1,728 km, and highway development intensified to address the region's strategic importance.
This infrastructure surge impacts tourism viability. Air traffic growth from 52 percent in 2022 to 54 percent in 2023 shows improving accessibility, while branded hotel room supply is expected to nearly double by 2030, with over 3,000 new rooms planned across the region. The development of the Sairang railhead in Mizoram as a transhipment hub linking to Myanmar's Sittwe Port exemplifies the integration of tourism infrastructure with trade connectivity.
The region's rugged terrain, heavy monsoon rains, and historically underdeveloped infrastructure create accessibility constraints that limit tourism growth.
However, challenges persist. The region's rugged terrain, heavy monsoon rains, and historically underdeveloped infrastructure create accessibility constraints that limit tourism growth. Remote areas remain difficult to reach, and transportation networks require continued investment to ensure year-round reliability. These infrastructure gaps represent opportunities for collaborative investment under frameworks such as the India-Japan Act East Forum, established in 2017 to identify specific projects for economic modernisation of the Northeast, including connectivity and developmental infrastructure.
As tourism expands, sustainability becomes paramount. The Northeast's fragile ecosystems and indigenous cultures require protection even as they generate economic value. Community-based tourism initiatives have emerged as effective models, with homestays providing income for local families while offering tourists authentic cultural experiences. States such as Sikkim pioneered ecotourism frameworks that integrate ecological preservation with community participation, setting benchmarks for the region.
Mizoram's Responsible Tourism Policy, introduced in August 2020, emphasises sustainable development, community participation, and support for local livelihood, which contributed to the state's remarkable tourism growth. Similarly, Meghalaya's community-based tourism operators divert tourist footfalls from overcrowded destinations to lesser-known areas, distributing economic benefits more equitably while reducing environmental stress.
India's National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism, adopted in 2022, and the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders' Statement on Sustainable Tourism, signed in October 2025, provide policy frameworks that align environmental sustainability with economic growth. These initiatives recognise that tourism's contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goals—particularly Goals 8 (decent work and economic growth), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 14 (life below water)—requires balancing visitor numbers with carrying capacity and environmental protection.
The designation of 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism underscores the strategic priority of tourism cooperation. The ASEAN-India Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strengthening Tourism Cooperation fosters action-oriented cooperation in joint marketing, human resource development, and sustainable tourism practices.
The designation of 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism underscores the strategic priority of tourism cooperation.
Cross-border tourism circuits connecting Northeast India with Southeast Asia offer particular promise. The North Eastern Council identified 33 regional and international tourist circuits, with nine regional circuits currently under development. These circuits leverage shared cultural heritage—Buddhist traditions, tribal customs, and linguistic ties—to position the Northeast as a bridge of civilisation diplomacy. The region's participation in international events such as travel trade partnerships demonstrated efforts to market integrated tourism experiences spanning multiple countries. Tourism serves as both an economic driver and a diplomatic tool for deepening people-to-people connections.
Realising the Northeast's tourism potential within the Indo-Pacific framework requires coordinated policy action across multiple dimensions:
Infrastructure Investment: Continued prioritisation of multimodal connectivity remains essential. Public-private partnerships modelled on successful infrastructure financing mechanisms can accelerate development while ensuring sustainability. The Asian Development Bank's support for BBIN projects and the World Bank's interest in supporting regional infrastructure demonstrate the availability of financing mechanisms.
Regulatory Harmonisation: Streamlining visa procedures, protected area permits, and cross-border movement regulations will reduce friction for international tourists. The expansion of e-visa facilities to 167 countries and the rationalisation of visa fees represent positive steps that should be complemented by simplified procedures specific to the Northeast's border regions.
Capacity Building: Investment in tourism-related skills—such as hospitality management, language training, heritage interpretation—will enhance service quality and employment opportunities. Tourism training initiatives can be expanded to address Northeast-specific needs and create pathways for youth employment.
Marketing and Branding: Coordinated marketing campaigns positioning the Northeast as a destination with diverse experiences could help increase its visibility in international markets. Digital platforms allowing user-generated content build credibility and interest. Integration with ASEAN tourism marketing platforms leverages existing networks and resources.
Community Empowerment: Scaling successful community-based tourism models ensures that economic benefits reach local populations while preserving cultural authenticity. Revenue-sharing mechanisms, homestay expansion programmes, and support for local entrepreneurs create distributed prosperity aligned with inclusive growth objectives.
Sustainable Development Standards: Implementation of carrying-capacity studies, environmental impact assessments, and eco-tourism certifications protects the natural and cultural assets that attract visitors. Green infrastructure investments, plastic bans in sensitive areas, and promotion of eco-lodges demonstrate environmental leadership.
Northeast India's transformation from a peripheral region to a strategic connector in the Indo-Pacific architecture is well underway. Tourism, often overlooked in discussions of trade and economic connectivity, represents a critical pillar of this transformation. It generates immediate employment and income while building the soft infrastructure of cultural exchange and people-to-people ties that undergird sustainable economic partnerships. As infrastructure improves, regulatory barriers diminish, and market awareness grows, the Northeast's tourism sector can serve as a model for how strategic geography, cultural assets, and sustainable development principles combine to drive inclusive prosperity. The challenge ahead lies not in recognising potential but in mobilising coordinated action across government, private sector, and community stakeholders.
Sunil Kumar is an Assistant Professor at Mizoram University with over 12 years of experience in hospitality and culinary education. His research spans curriculum development, food studies, and hospitality management.
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Dr. Sunil Kumar is currently serving as Assistant Professor at Mizoram University, where he brings more than twelve years of teaching experience in hospitality and ...
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