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Six Countries Impose Travel Ban to Assam and Northeast India

By AT News |

In a significant development, six developed countries have imposed travel restrictions on Assam and Northeast India, citing concerns over the region's law and order situation. The countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Switzerland. This alarming information was shared by Assam's Tourism Minister, Ranjit Kumar Das, in response to a query by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed during the Assam Legislative Assembly session on Tuesday.

According to the Minister, the decision to impose the ban is primarily due to concerns over the law and order situation in the region. However, he assured that efforts are underway, in coordination with the Tourism Department and the Ministry of External Affairs, to lift the restrictions. Minister Das also mentioned that a high-level delegation from Australia had recently visited Assam to assess the situation.

The travel ban has already started to affect Assam's tourism sector. Official figures show that the number of tourists visiting the state in the 2022-23 financial year was 98,31,141. However, this number dropped to 70,67,335 in the 2023-24 fiscal year, and by January 2024, the number further declined to 67,88,565. The imposition of travel bans by six developed nations is expected to have a severe impact on the region's tourism industry.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have voiced their concerns about the travel restrictions. Pradesh Congress President Bhupen Borah has criticized the Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, for failing to control the law and order situation. He pointed out that the world had witnessed the protests on the streets and questioned the government's claims during an investment summit about foreign capital flowing into the state. Borah raised the concern that if people are not able to visit, where will the investments come from.

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