Shillong, Jun 16 (PTI): From pristine natural beauty to crafts and cuisine, the Northeast offers on a platter whatever a tourist can desire, and in the future, the region will become a “growth engine” of the country’s travel economy, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Tuesday.
He said this while interacting with reporters on the sidelines of the North East India Infrastructure Summit & Exhibition 2026, which was held in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong between June 15 and 16.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has identified the region as the “Ashtalakshmi,” Shekhawat said and underlined the infrastructure growth that has taken place in the region.
“The way the work on connectivity is being done continuously, and the natural beauty it is endowed with, along with a variety of experiences of culture, craft (and) cuisines…Northeast has everything on a platter to offer to whatever a tourist can desire or dream of,” the Union minister said.
In the coming time, the region will become “a growth engine of India’s travel economy,” he told reporters.
Hundreds of delegates drawn from governments of various Northeastern states and the industry sector, among others, gathered in Shillong — dubbed ‘Scotland of the East’ — for this first-of-its-kind event, at Lariti Performing Centre.
The historic city is endowed with rich natural cover, old buildings and the sprawling Shillong Golf Course built in the late 19th century.
The entire Northeast region, comprising eight states, is dotted with historic locations, cultural and natural heritage sites, including the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya.
A replica of the bridge was on display at the Meghalaya Eco-Pavilion.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, and several other dignitaries on Monday.
Earlier in the day, at a thematic session, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu’s recorded address was played on a screen at the dais.
Shekhawat, after attending a meeting with CEOs, was also given a tour of the exhibition area at the summit venue.
On Monday, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal also attended the summit.
He had said that the northeast has truly become the “fulcrum of India”, while asserting that the “Ashtalakshmi story” was unfolding at an accelerated pace, driving an inclusive, sustainable, and globally competitive future. PTI KND AMJ AMJ
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
