Feasibility Study of Tourist Destinations in Barak Valley

Abstract

Tourism is amongst the better flourishing industries in the world, tourism industry accounts for more than 10% of the global GDP. Several national economies today depend largely on the tourism industry for their sustenance and growth. Owing to their high tourism potential, several regional pockets in India have benefitted greatly with the advent of tourism. Of the several leisure and heritage tourist destinations, many unexplored pockets lie in the north-eastern region of the country. One such pocket is the Barak Valley in south Assam. The valley has rich cultural heritage and immense diversity owing to its proximity to Bangladesh and other predominantly tribal states of northeast region. The valley is yet to register any significant progress in terms tourist influx, this can be attributed to its absence from the recognized tourist circuits. This paper intends to evaluate the feasibility of the tourist destinations in the Barak Valley region through a qualitative analysis method based on responses to a primary survey conducted on site. The result of the mean weighted average shows high feasibility value. The study also reveals that there is a need for physical infrastructure development for promoting sustainable tourism in the region.