Bengaluru a huge market to find tourists: Arunachal Minister | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is a huge market for potential tourists, says Arunachal Pradesh tourism minister Pasag Dorjee Sona at the India International Travel Mart tourism exhibition was held here on Thursday. Despite the state getting fewer tourists from Karnataka, Dorjee expressed that Arunachal will explore opportunities to welcome more tourists from the southern part of the country.“Bengaluru is a huge market, that’s why we are here. We have not been exploring this side, we have come here for that. We get tourists from Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam. We get people from the southern part of India also, but not as much as we expected. I think this exhibition will create a lot of visibility for our state,” he told TOI.While Arunachal has been infamous for border-related conflicts with China, Dorjee claimed that it does not affect the state’s tourism potential but instead increases it through “Border Tourism.” “It’s a very normal thing, you know. It’s not like it’s creating any kind of law and order issues or national security concerns. It is very, very safe. And that should be another USP because people want to come and visit the border, like how we have seen abroad also, visiting the Demilitarized Zone. It becomes a big tourism product,” he explained.The three-day event features over 800 exhibitors from 25 Indian states and 20 international destinations, showcasing diverse travel options like pilgrimages, adventures, culture, and wildlife. Kanchana Fernando, a travel agent from Sri Lanka, attributed his country’s wildlife and urban life similar to Bengaluru as a reason to bring in tourists. “Bangalore has a kind of culture similar to Sri Lanka, and there’s a lot of activities and wildlife as well. Like we have heritage sites as well along with amazing wildlife. If you want urban life, that’s also there, that’s why we choose Bangalore,” he elaborated.Over the years, Bengaluru airport has become a huge connectivity hub for international tourism. However, industry stakeholders feel that Metro connectivity to the airport can be a game changer for tourism. “The distance is 40 km now, and it still takes an hour. Hope Metro connects to the airport soon. It’ll be a game changer to improve connectivity out here,” suggested Rohit Hangal, the convenor of the exhibition. MSID:: 122885077 413 |