In view of the country's huge resources and potential to woo not only foreign investors but also tourists to all parts, particularly to the Northeast region, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has called for new measures to boost tourism in the region.

The number of foreign tourists has increased significantly in the past few years, India still lags behind other countries and the figures are not encouraging enough, the minister said while addressing the first Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Conclave. The event was held in the national capital on 24 March by the Arunachal government with the aim to boost tourism in the state.

“Although India has large number of international in-bound visitors, it still stands low in comparison to other countries,” Rijiju said, adding, “We have so many international terminals besides the shipping yards and also opportunities, yet we are unable to reach the nine million mark. The number of visitors are increasing but not encouraging enough".

The minister, who has travelled 154 countries, emphasised on building more tourist attractions in the country.

Meanwhile, Rijiju's home state Arunachal Pradesh, a dream destination in the Northeast, received over 3.5 lakh tourists in 2016, according to a release. The state tourism department is now on a roll to boost domestic and international tourists inflow to the state and promote and assist trade partners.

"Ärunachal Pradesh is investing to become an exotic tourist hub in India. We have been organising theme-based events like the Tawang festival, Ziro Festival of Music, Arunachal Spring Carnival, adventure at Mechuka and the Kameng river festival," said Joram Beda, state Tourism Secretary, who graced the event.

The Ziro Festival of Music, which showcases great musicians, draws music lovers from across India and other countries to the state every year.

"The role of tourism partners in building awareness and encouraging the unique attractions the state offers is paramount," Beda added.

The conclave witnessed a good gathering of stakeholders from across the travel and tourism industry, and while MoU with private companies are signed, the state tourism targets a yearly growth of 20 per cent in the next three years.

Currently, this pristine state has great scope for development of cultural tourism, adventure tourism, historical tourism, wildlife tourism, nature-based tourism and eco-tourism.