Guwahati: Assam has received a fresh boost on the international tourism front, with European Union member states revising their travel advisories and lifting earlier restrictive guidance for visitors to the state.“After reviewing the situation in Assam, the EU has withdrawn the negative travel advisory from yesterday. Effectively, it means that the 27 member-states of the EU have lifted the restrictions for its citizens travelling to our state, barring the three districts of Charaideo, Tinsukia and Sivasagar which are under AFSPA,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Facebook Live.He said EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin had informed the state chief secretary that the restriction was lifted from Friday.The development follows similar easing of advisories by Australia and Japan, marking what the Chief Minister described as a broader shift in international perception of Assam’s stability and tourism potential. He said it would strengthen engagement between Assam and EU countries and boost tourism, business and people-to-people ties.In a post on X, Sarma said, “This development, following the recent visit of EU diplomats, is a strong vote of confidence in Assam and bodes well for deeper EU Assam engagement. It will further strengthen tourism, business, and people-to-people ties,” while expressing gratitude to Delphin for his support.He added that Australia and Japan had earlier withdrawn similar advisories, while the United States and Canada still maintain travel restrictions, which the state government is continuing to pursue diplomatically.“We were contacting the embassies to persuade them that Assam is peaceful now, and their citizens should not face restrictions in coming here. After pursuing for a long time, we have been successful in getting the advisory lifted by the EU now,” Sarma said.He said the government expects increased tourist inflow from EU countries and stressed the need to upgrade infrastructure accordingly. “We have to plan for homestays, nature-themed camps, huts, etc in such a way. We have to showcase our ethnic food to the tourists,” he said.Sarma also highlighted the importance of promoting Assam’s tourism potential through digital platforms. “We have to publicise the USP of the state through social media, especially in English, to ensure maximum outreach,” he said, adding that a dedicated tourism website with a single-window booking system for homestays would also be developed.“Tourism provides maximum employment and is another step towards an ‘atmanirbhar Assam’. To attract tourists, we have to keep our tourism spots clean, improve the homestays and publicise through social media,” he added.The Chief Minister said earlier restrictions had affected Assam’s tourism prospects for decades, but expressed confidence that continued outreach would help place the state more prominently on the global tourism map.On the possibility of high-level foreign visits, Sarma said Assam is preparing to host dignitaries between July 1 and 3, without naming specific leaders.
