Agartala, Dec 28: Tripura, the land of endless beauty, has registered a sharp increase in tourist footfall since 2018, Tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury said on Saturday.
Speaking to the reporters in Agartala, he unveiled ambitious plans to transform the state into a thriving tourism hub in the next two years.
He said, from 2013 to 2018, the state recorded footfalls of 18,69,376 domestic tourists and 1,79,404 international tourists. In contrast, the numbers surged to 21,90,362 domestic tourists and 4,29,828 international tourists after 2018, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tourism revenue also saw a significant boost, rising from Rs. 15,52,31,000 during the Left regime to Rs. 31,25,23,000 after 2018, he said.
To further develop the tourism sector, Chowdhury announced plans to introduce 50 boats in various water bodies, including Chabimura, Narkelkunja, and Neermahal, within the next 15 days. An additional proposal for 50 more boats has already been approved.
The state government is investing Rs. 529 crore in various projects to develop tourism infrastructure. With these initiatives, Tripura is expected to reach new heights in tourism over the next two years.
Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury has fired back at former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's claims of excessive spending during Promo Fest-2024.
Sarkar recently alleged that a whopping Rs. 7 crore was spent on a single musical concert night at Swami Vivekananda Maidan, and also questioned the ministers' involvement in late-night celebrations, hinting at a lack of accountability.
Chowdhury dismissed Sarkar's allegations as baseless and politically motivated, emphasizing the significant growth in Tripura's tourism sector since the BJP came to power in 2018.