There is no denying the myriad of benefits natural beauty touring destinations can bring to you. In addition to checking historical facts and landmarks, it also has a positive effect on your stress levels and is a perfect way to spend your vacation. Not many regions in the world offer fascinating beauty and “culturally thick” environments like Northeast India, particularly Assam. There are many reasons to visit the land of the red river and blue hills and explore the ever-growing tourism industry. From the diversity of ethnic groups, language, culture, food, sights and even history to the world-famous Assam tea gardens, large petroleum reserves, beautiful landscapes and vegetation, Assam and other northeastern states are truly blessed with natural beauty.

Tourism in Northeast India has long been largely homogeneous, which has resulted in very few travel options and average services. Fortunately, more and more entrepreneurs are venturing into ventures to remedy this situation. Entrepreneurs like travel experts Udit Bhanu Barthakur, the founder of Eastern Iconic Tours, has developed strategies that will not only put northeastern tourism on the map, but will also be a source of pride and fame for the region.

Joining the travel industry in 2015 was a dream come true for Udit. He had a goal with Eastern Iconic Tours;; to revolutionize the travel industry and provide the money to travel to both foreign and local tourists. It does this by including unexplored destinations that are separate from traditional routes for tourists in need of something unique.

About the beginnings, he says: “During my diploma in Travel and Tourism Management, I was assigned a six month project to serve as the assistant tour guide on a luxury cruise ship sailing from Mumbai to Sharjah and Italy. When I returned to Assam I worked with Jungle Travel India and Assam Bengal Navigation as a tour guide / tour guide on their river cruises sailing with tourists from all over the world in Brahmaputra, Hooghly and Ganges. Those seven years from 2009 to 2015 were one of the highest periods of my life that played a crucial role in shaping my tourism career and the birth of the entrepreneur in me. “

There are a good number of tour operators in the Northeast India region. What distinguishes Udits Eastern Iconic Tours & Travels? “Of course there are many tour operators and travel agents and the competition is fierce. However, I’m not particularly interested in the competition; I believe if you customize your tours with a different taste and advertise in an organized way, tourists will approach you anyway. I am quite picky and prefer high quality tours with responsible tourists. In terms of uniqueness, I like to add some new unexplored destinations alongside the traditional tourist route as my guests often want to experience something new. With my tours I try to summarize some academic activities that will help my guests get an insight into the academic scenario of our region. The overall aim is to do my part in creating a healthy scenario for the proper functioning of various types of tourism in Assam and the Northeast as a whole. “

Also read: Planting ideas for interiors that serve as both home decor and air purifiers

Udit informs that tourism in northeast India is still not an organized sector. There is a lack of adequate infrastructure such as hotels, host families, takeaways in many places, pathetic road conditions in some corners, a lack of roadside amenities where tourists could stop for tea, toilet, etc., a lack of professional tour guides, naturalists and so on. While he admits the overall scenario has improved over the years, he still has a long way to go.

Udit believes that the secret to getting the northeast tourism sector where it should be lies in the collaboration of all tourism professionals. He says there is a need to work as a team. “In an industry like this, teamwork is important and a must during these difficult times. To move the industry forward, we need to find new destinations, create some exciting new itineraries out of the box, and then add them to the already popular destinations, ”he says.

Udit recalls life before COVID-19 and some of his fondest memories and tells us about Eastern Iconic Tours & Travels’ debut tour. “It was a 12 day tour of Assam and Meghalaya with a lovely couple, Janet and Bryan Cupples from Swindon, England. They had a fantastic time with the local people trying to get to know their way of life and enjoy the traditional cuisine and folklore. The locals also loved their company. One of my valued guests was Rachel Fell Macdormett, Professor and Chair of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures at Barnard College, Columbia University, who had traveled to Arunachal Pradesh with her family to explore this beautiful country. Her open-mindedness, her deep knowledge of the cultural sphere of Asia and her curiosity to know something about Assam and the Northeast made the tour very special. “

No matter what area you want to be in and whatever part of the world, there are often obstacles that can weigh on you. Udit needed to keep a clear head and sharpen his focus to constantly remind himself of the reason why he had started in the first place. He faced challenges such as a shortage of manpower, insufficient resources, demand for unique tours, meeting different tastes of tourists and much more. Realizing that he couldn’t please every single customer, he did his best by providing only quality service.

The COVID-19 outbreak last year has been a major dilemma for commercial properties, especially in the tourism industry, and now, with the rise in Covid cases, tourism professionals are once again fighting an uphill battle. “My personal experience should give you an idea. In 2020, my last tour with a couple from the Netherlands was in March, just before the lockdown was announced. And the next tour I designed after that was in April 2021 after a year-long hiatus for a group of 28 Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officials visiting Kaziranga and Shillong. I have to mention that we all had to test negative for COVID-19 before we could go on the tour. Imagine how difficult that was to arrange. I have booked some tours for September / November 2021. We have to deal with the situation and maintain a positive attitude because if you give up hope, you will lose everything. I am optimistic that the tourism industry will recover in due course, ”he suggests.

Interaction with Indian Revenue Services employees.

Despite the numerous destinations in the Assam travel industry, most tourists choose destinations like Kaziranga, creating overpopulation in these areas and leaving other viable destinations that are often neglected by tourists. Addressing this growing problem, he says, “Assam is filled with all kinds of tourist activities. whether it’s culture, wildlife, adventure, rural life and so on. It is high time to explore new destinations, explore the tourist potential of these destinations and present them to our guests in an organized way.

“For example, Dima Hasao is home to some of the most beautiful and unexplored travel destinations in Assam such as Haflong, Jatinga, Dehangi, Maibang, Umrangso, Panimur, etc. A new keyword in our tourism industry is Community Based Tourism (CBT). . Choren Ahem is a CBT success story. Bodoland is also a good CBT destination where guests can get a glimpse of the rich culture of our colorful Bodo tribe, ”he adds.

On an adventure with some guests.

One only has to take a look from the air at the village of Dikchak, which lies between plains and hills. Because of its unique location – just 45km from downtown Guwahati – and its mesmerizing scenery, it has been taken over by Sonapur College and is currently being converted into a CBT University under the direction of the Travel and Tourism Management Department of Sonapur College in Gauhati . As Udit says, “this and the other others open up new avenues, especially for tourists interested in the CBT model”.

This tourism entrepreneur also believes in foreign tourists’ interaction with tourism students in prestigious institutions. According to him, it breaks through cultural barriers and promotes cultural knowledge on both sides. “It is always a pleasure to see my guests who have enjoyed their interactions with students and teachers at various colleges in Nagaon. The last lively meeting was on March 3rd, 2020 between a couple from the Netherlands and students and teachers from the Travel and Tourism Management Department (B.Voc) of Sonapur College, ”he reveals.

Explain the various details of Assamese cuisine to guests from Italy.

There is only one destination for the influential tourism professional and that is forward. As he says, “Aside from the plans to make a film by some experienced filmmakers from Japan and France who want to make a film about the diversity of Assam, including the folklore, flora and fauna, another plan is to have a resort with a very traditional touch to start but with all modern facilities, in a village near Amoni in the Nagaon district, just 1 km from National Highway 37. “

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR