How Bengaluru could unlock Arunachal Pradesh’s border tourism boom

Arunachal Pradesh has set its sights firmly on Bengaluru as a major source of potential tourists. At the India International Travel Mart, held in the city on Thursday, the state’s tourism minister, Pasag Dorjee Sona, underlined the importance of engaging travellers from southern India to boost visitor numbers.

Dorjee was cited by TOI as emphasising, “Bengaluru is a huge market, that’s why we are here. We have not been exploring this side, we have come here for that. We get tourists from Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam. We get people from the southern part of India also, but not as much as we expected. I think this exhibition will create a lot of visibility for our state.”

The three-day event has brought together over 800 exhibitors from 25 Indian states as well as 20 international destinations, all aiming to showcase a rich tapestry of travel experiences – from cultural pilgrimages to adventure and wildlife tourism.

While Arunachal Pradesh periodically makes headlines due to border-related tensions with China, Dorjee was cited by TOI as saying that there are no issues with safety or law and order for travellers. He asserted, “It’s a very normal thing, you know. It’s not like it’s creating any kind of law and order issues or national security concerns. It is very, very safe. And that should be another USP because people want to come and visit the border, like how we have seen abroad also, visiting the Demilitarized Zone. It becomes a big tourism product.”