Guwahati: Assam’s Manas National Park reopened to tourists on Friday with a new tourism model that puts conservation, community livelihoods and responsible travel at the centre of the visitor experience.

The new approach seeks to move beyond the traditional safari-centric model by making trained local guides compulsory, opening up new tourism zones in the buffer landscape, introducing premium full-day routes and setting up a dedicated waste-management facility at the park entrance.

The changes come as tourism to Manas continues to grow. Visitor numbers rose from 52,962 in 2021-22 to 63,723 in 2025-26. International arrivals have increased particularly sharply, from just 45 foreign visitors in 2021-22 to 4,951 last season. Indian tourist arrivals stood at 58,772 in 2025-26.

Local communities take centre stage

One of the biggest changes this season is the compulsory involvement of trained local guides.

Youth from villages around Manas will accompany tourist groups, giving visitors access to local knowledge of the landscape, wildlife, culture and communities while creating a direct source of income for people living around the park.

The tourism push is also extending into villages through homestays and curated cultural experiences under rural tourism initiatives such as Aamar Alohi, allowing local households to participate more directly in the tourism economy.

Tourism spreads beyond the core

The new model is designed to reduce the concentration of visitors in sensitive areas by creating tourism opportunities across the wider Manas landscape.

Subankhata, Bhutan Chowki and Bogamati are being developed as buffer-area tourism destinations, with an emphasis on low-impact experiences and community-based services.

Manas has also introduced premium full-day routes, responding to demand from visitors seeking longer wildlife experiences.

Officials hope the wider spread of tourism will ease pressure on heavily visited areas while giving tourists more opportunities to experience the landscape beyond conventional safari routes.

A larger tourism circuit is also being planned around Manas National Park, the 1st Addition to Manas, Raimona National Park and Sikhna Jwhalao National Park, along with wildlife sanctuaries including Barnadi and Chakrashila.

The landscape-wide approach is intended to encourage longer stays and spread tourism income across a larger number of communities.

Plastic stops at the park gate

A Responsible Tourism Centre (RTC) near the park entrance is another major feature of this season’s tourism strategy.

Visitors can deposit prohibited single-use plastic items at the centre before entering the park. The facility also provides drinking-water refill points and information on responsible waste disposal.

The initiative brings together the Forest Department, Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin, Royal Enfield Social Mission and The Midway Journey, along with local communities, guides, safari associations, resorts and homestays.

Through its Root Connect initiative, supported by Royal Enfield Social Mission, The Midway Journey is working with communities to strengthen waste management and community-led tourism in the Manas landscape.

From safari destination to heritage landscape

The visitor experience is also set to expand beyond wildlife.

The foundation stone for the Bodoland Manas Heritage Centre at Bansbari has been laid, with the centre envisaged as a space that will bring together the region’s conservation story, history, culture and heritage.

The changes mark a shift in how tourism is being positioned at Manas, as an economic opportunity for surrounding communities, but also as a tool for conservation.

With visitor numbers, particularly international arrivals, rising, the challenge will be to ensure that tourism growth remains compatible with the ecological sensitivity of one of Assam’s most important wildlife landscapes.