Mizoram one of top tourist destinations in NE: Lalduhoma

Aizawl, Oct 14 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday said that the state was one of the top tourist destinations in the entire Northeast region last year.

He said that over 5.2 lakh tourists visited Mizoram in 2024, an increase of 139.5 per cent from the previous year.

The number of tourists is expected to rise exponentially due to the opening of railway line up to Sairang, which brought the state under the country's railway map for the first time, he said.

The Bairabi-Sairang railway line, which was considered one of the most challenging projects in Indian Railway 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.

"With the improvement of connectivity and efforts to boost tourism sector, we are increasingly attracting more tourists. Mizoram was one of the fastest growing states in the Northeast in terms of tourist attraction last year," Lalduhoma said while addressing the festival of Hnahsin (cosmos flowers) in Champhai district.

He said that Mizoram has high tourism potential to boost its economy if the residents give due care to their land and expose the Mizo tradition and moral code of ethics by showing hospitality and friendliness to outsiders.

"Tourists should also be shown the Mizo ethics of selfless service, honesty, respect for elders and hospitality to strangers when they visit our state," Lalduhoma said.

He said that Mizoram is rich in heritage and historical sites to attract tourists.

Lalduhoma further said that a large amount of Mizoram's money has been drained outside the state and the residents should find ways to take back such drained wealth through tourism. PTI CORR NN