Aizawl : Mizoram Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar on Thursday said that the state is planning to develop Aizawl and its surrounding areas into a tourism circuit at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore.
He said that the state has sought greater Centre support for tourism projects in the state and discussed wider promotion of the Aizawl International Half Marathon (AIHM) 2027 during a series of meetings with senior Union government officials in Delhi.
Hmar, who is also the Sports Minister, met Tourism Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar, besides DoNER officials, on Wednesday to review ongoing projects and explore avenues for faster implementation and greater publicity, the statement said.
During his meeting with Bhuvnesh Kumar, Hmar highlighted tourism as a key avenue for revenue generation and economic development in Mizoram, which has limited large-scale industries.
The Tourism Secretary, according to the statement, expressed satisfaction over the progress made in Mizoram since his visit to the state two years ago and assured that efforts would be made to expedite tourism projects.
He stressed the need for more trained tourism service providers, particularly tour guides, and better accommodation facilities to meet the needs of a growing number of visitors.
In his meeting with the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, Hmar discussed wider publicity and promotion of AIHM 2027.
He said that the event had already been successfully organised twice and was attracting increasing participation from within and outside Mizoram.
He also highlighted the growing interest in running and fitness among Mizo youth and said the government planned to expand the event further.
The I&B Secretary assured possible support and discussed collaboration with other ministries and institutions.
Hmar also held discussions with DoNER Statistical Adviser Dharmvir Jha on the status of Mizoram projects under the ministry and measures to accelerate their implementation.
The two sides discussed organising exposure visits for Mizoram government officials to familiarise themselves with DoNER’s functioning, besides reviewing the ongoing proposal for developing a tourism circuit under the ministry.