Context

• The Ministry of Tourism will organise the International Tourism Mart in Shillong, Meghalaya from 21st to 23rd November to create awareness about the tourism potential in the North Eastern region of India.

Key Points

• This is an annual event.
• It is organised by the Ministry on rotation basis in any one state of the North-Eastern region.
• According to the Ministry of Tourism, the International Mart is going to be a unique event as it is planned as a green event by adopting low carbon alternatives on the lines of action points prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the implementation of Mission LiFE.
• Around 100 delegates including domestic and international are participating in this year's event.

Objective

• The International Tourism Mart aims to provide a larger platform for North Eastern stakeholders to interact with their counterparts from both the country and overseas markets.
• Also to create awareness about the tourism potential of the North Eastern Region (NER) and highlight its unique tourism products, rich biodiversity, unique intangible heritage including local traditions, dance forms, arts, handicrafts and handlooms to the domestic and international audiences.

Major initiatives related to tourism in North-East region

• Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, sixteen projects worth a total of Rs 1309.00 crore have been approved in the North-Eastern States.
• A total of 15 tourist destinations in the North East are being taken up for development under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0.
• Prasad scheme

Major initiatives of the government for the development of North East -

In the infrastructure sector:

• Bharatmala Project
• Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN

In the area of connectivity:

• Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transportation Project
• India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway

Establishment : 1945

• United Nations General Assembly: Important part of the United Nations                                 Headquarters: New York