What does Northeast India need to do to become the next travel frontier?
Guwahati: Northeast India represents one of the country’s most compelling frontiers for tourism development. Despite its exceptional natural beauty, cultural diversity, and strategic location, the region remains underrepresented in India’s tourism narrative. In 2024, it accounted for just 0.43% of domestic and 1.17% of foreign tourist visits, underscoring its vast untapped potential.
At the state level, governments have introduced progressive tourism policies emphasizing sustainability, community participation, and private sector collaboration. Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, among others, are focusing on niche opportunities, including ecological, adventure, wellness, cultural, and tea tourism.
So, what is holding back the tourism sector in the Northeast, and what is the way forward?
A new whitepaper by real estate consultancy HVS–ANAROCK, titled “Northeast India: A Hidden Gem for Tourism Potential,” discusses the barriers to growth and the way forward.
"While Northeast India’s states have introduced comprehensive tourism policies, there remains a significant gap between policy design and on-ground execution. Many initiatives, such as single-window clearance for tourism projects, capital subsidies, and eco-tourism incentives, are either underutilized or remain unknown to key stakeholders, partly due to limited awareness, cumbersome approval processes, and the absence of clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms," the report says.
While connectivity across Northeast India has seen notable improvements, such as reduced road travel times between cities like Itanagar and Guwahati and the expansion of regional airports and helicopter services, significant infrastructural gaps remain. Air travel is concentrated around a few key airports such as Guwahati, Imphal, and Dibrugarh, while many promising destinations have limited or seasonal connectivity. Road infrastructure, especially in hilly terrains, is prone to landslides, and rail coverage is sparse. "These challenges not only impact tourist accessibility but also increase travel time, making multi-destination itineraries difficult to develop. Last-mile connectivity, crucial for immersive tourism experiences, remains inadequate."
The report says that despite its distinct offerings, Northeast India is still not prominently positioned within mainstream travel narratives. "While efforts to promote the region have gained some momentum in recent years through campaigns such as 'Northeast India - Unexplored Paradise,' festivals, and digital storytelling, the outreach remains limited in scale and consistency."
There is also the issue of perception and safety concerns. The Northeast has historically faced concerns related to political unrest and insurgency, which continue to influence perceptions. "While most of the region is peaceful today, sporadic incidents, especially in border or conflict-prone areas, create uncertainty among potential tourists. These concerns, often amplified by the lack of updated information or disproportionate media coverage, can lead to hesitancy in travel planning, particularly among international visitors and organized tour operators."
There is weak inter-state coordination. "The eight states of Northeast India often operate in silos when it comes to tourism development. While each state has its own tourism policy, there is limited collaboration on cross-state circuits, joint marketing efforts, or even shared best practices. As a result, the region is unable to present itself as a cohesive, interconnected destination."
But yet, momentum is building: air traffic has surged to an all-time high of 11.2 million passengers in 2024, projected to nearly double to 20.5 million by 2030.
“The Northeast stands at the cusp of a tourism transformation. With breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and a strategic location, the region holds immense promise. Yet, this promise remains underutilized, constrained by fragmented planning, limited visibility, and persistent infrastructural gaps,” the report notes.
Despite its immense resources, natural wealth, and strategic position bordering five countries, Northeast India currently contributes just 2–3% to India’s GDP.
"This is not due to a lack of potential but rather a reflection of long-standing challenges, including infrastructure gaps, a low industrial base, and policy fragmentation. While the region’s overall contribution to India’s GDP remains modest, there are clear signs of economic dynamism at the state level."
The report attributes much of the region’s tourism revival to unprecedented infrastructure investments that have bridged decades of isolation. The number of operational airports has more than doubled—from nine in 2013 to 19 in 2024, under initiatives such as UDAN and Swadesh Darshan 2.0.
Major projects, including the Akhaura–Agartala rail link, new ferry terminals along the Brahmaputra, and multi-modal transport corridors, have transformed travel possibilities. The expansion of Donyi Polo Airport in Arunachal Pradesh, upcoming heliports, and seaplane services on the Brahmaputra are redefining accessibility to remote destinations.
Such connectivity, the report says, is catalyzing growth across the hospitality sector. Branded hotel supply in the region—currently just 1.7% of India’s total inventory—is expected to double by 2030, with over 3,000 new keys planned, led by Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
THE WAY FORWARD: The whitepaper proposes relaunching the “Northeast India – Unexplored Paradise” campaign under a refreshed, cohesive narrative highlighting adventure, wellness, spirituality, and cultural richness.
Strategic partnerships with global travel platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, MakeMyTrip) and celebrity influencers could amplify digital visibility, the report suggests. Assam’s recent inclusion in The New York Times’ "52 Places to Go in 2025" is cited as a springboard for global recognition.
Northeast India’s biodiversity and cultural heritage, while its greatest assets, are also its most vulnerable. Popular destinations such as Kaziranga, Cherrapunji, and Tsomgo Lake face seasonal visitor surges that strain infrastructure and threaten fragile ecosystems.
“The absence of sustainability guidelines, waste management systems, and regular environmental impact assessments has led to localized degradation,” the report warns.
It recommends eco-sensitive zoning, visitor caps, and community-based tourism models to balance growth with preservation.
The report calls for a harmonized tourism investment framework across all eight states—complete with single-window clearance, pre-approved tourism zones, and transparent approval timelines. Such uniformity, it argues, would reduce procedural hurdles, attract investors, and accelerate the development of Special Tourism Zones and cross-border circuits.
Drawing lessons from Gujarat, Kerala, and Rajasthan, the report highlights how visionary branding and consistent governance can transform regional economies.
“Northeast India’s goal is not to replicate these models,” the authors write, “but to adapt their best practices—aligning them with the region’s unique geography, ecology, and cultural rhythm—to create a tourism narrative that is distinctly its own.”
“Bold reforms, collaborative leadership, and a unified branding strategy can unlock the region’s full potential. Northeast India has the opportunity to become a model for sustainable, inclusive tourism—one that respects local cultures, preserves fragile ecosystems, and delivers authentic experiences to travelers.”
The report says the time is ripe to turn vision into action. "With the right intent, partnerships, and investments, Northeast India can evolve from an underexplored frontier into one of the most compelling tourism destinations in India, and a global example of how tourism can drive equitable, sustainable growth."