Tourism to See Boost After Sairang-Bairabi Link

Tourism industry between West Bengal and Mizoram could soon run on a fast track.

- NISHAT NIZAMI

As Aizawl is ready to embrace rail connectivity for the first time, the count of tourists and other categories of passengers between Kolkata and Aizawl is anticipated to see a boost in the near future.

Till now, tourists from Kolkata largely availed a flight from Kolkata airport to Lengpui airport in Aizawl. The journey ahead involved hired four-wheelers driving to the hotel and for sightseeing in the land of hills. Flights from Kolkata to Aizawl via Guwahati was also an option for the tourists. However, with only five flights operating from Lengpui airport, including one each in the up and down directions to Kolkata, along with the cost of travel, made the tourists give it a second thought. As Aizawl is gearing up for immediate railway connectivity to Silchar in Assam and towards Kolkata and Delhi in the near future, the travel agents are keeping their fingers crossed, anticipating higher tourist counts and more business from the region in the days to come.

The Sairang-Bairabi Railway project in Aizawl is being seen as an opportunity for growth by the travel agents in Kolkata. According to the chairman of the eastern region of the Travel Agents Federation of India, Anil Punjabi, there is a demand from tourists between Kolkata and Aizawl and vice versa. "There are sections of people who go to Mizoram from Kolkata. Also, people from Mizoram also travel down to Kolkata and avail international flights to places like Thailand and Malaysia," said Mr. Punjabi.