Tourism Revenue in Tripura Doubles Despite Covid Impact: Minister

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, December 28, 2024

Revenue from Tripura’s tourism sector has doubled in the last six years, despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury disclosed on Saturday. Speaking at Geetanjali Tourism Guest House, he attributed this growth to substantial investments in renovating and redeveloping tourist destinations, which led to a significant rise in tourist footfalls.

Between 2013 and 2018, the tourism sector generated revenue of ₹15.52 crore, while from 2018 to 2024, earnings increased to ₹31.25 crore, even with two years impacted by Covid restrictions. Tourist visits also grew, with 20.48 lakh visitors (18.69 lakh domestic and 1.79 lakh foreign) between 2013-2018, rising to 26.20 lakh visitors (21.90 lakh domestic and 4.29 lakh foreign) in 2018-2024.

Chowdhury highlighted the minimal investment in tourism during the Left regime, which allocated ₹82.84 crore. In contrast, the current government has spent ₹529 crore on infrastructure upgrades and developing new tourist destinations.

Responding to criticism by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar regarding the Tourism Promo Fest 2024, Chowdhury refuted claims of overspending, stating that less than one-third of the alleged ₹7 crore was spent, with central funds supporting cultural festivals. The event, which included a historic turnout for Shreya Ghoshal's concert, was a resounding success.

Chowdhury also criticized the previous government for its failure to promote tourism effectively, emphasizing that recent efforts have resulted in transformative growth for the sector.

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