Bairabi–Sairang railway line drives surge in Mizoram tourism, says Minister

Aizawl: Mizoram Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar on Monday said that the state's tourist footfall has increased steadily after the opening of the Bairabi–Sairang railway line, an official statement said.

During a meeting with NITI Aayog member Dr. V.K. Paul in New Delhi, Hmar said that hotels and homestays in the state capital, Aizawl, have been flooded with tourists since the opening of the railway line, the statement said.

He informed Dr. Paul that Mizoram is rich in tourist destinations and that locals have been increasingly valuing and exploring these destinations to attract more visitors, it said.

The two also discussed forming a task force for the Mizoram Tourism Conclave to ensure the participation of more stakeholders, the statement said.

They also agreed to finalise the schedule of the conclave at the earliest, it added.

According to data from the state tourism department, over 1.27 lakh tourists visited Mizoram between August and September this year.

Of these, 2,208 were foreigners and 1,25,250 were domestic tourists, it said.

The data also showed that 2,610 domestic tourists arrived in the state after the opening of the Bairabi–Sairang railway line.

The Bairabi–Sairang railway line, considered one of the most challenging projects in Indian Railways’ history, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 13.
The railway line links Mizoram's capital, Aizawl, with the rest of the country through Assam's Silchar town.