The tour operators have endorsed the demand for introduction of Inner line Permit (ILP) in Assam.
The operators told an English daily that the government would then have an authentic data base of tourists visiting the State.
“If there is an ILP-like system in place then the government would have in its possession authentic data and accordingly, formulate its tourism policy. But the system has to be very simple,” said Delhi-based tour operators Shivam Sharma and Gautam Borgohain.
They, however, admitted that the ongoing agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, in short CAA, has affected the tourism industry in the State.
Both the operators said the process of availing ILP can be made simple and tourists may be asked to apply online.
The government would have credible data to frame its policy later on, they suggested.
Till December, 2018 around four lakh domestic tourists visited Assam last year, while 4,500 foreign tourists landed in the State.
As against that, this December the inflow of tourists was nil. This will have a long-term impact on tourism industry, they said.