Northeast gears up for New Year celebrations, sees surge in tourists

Guwahati, Dec 31 (IANS) The major cities in the Northeast have geared up to celebrate the New Year’s Eve on Sunday, which have witnessed a surge in the tourist numbers from the different parts of the country.

The director of Kaziranga National Park, Sonali Ghosh said, “We have been witnessing a higher volume of tourists at the year-end. Earlier, tourists could only visit the central and western range of the park. But now we have a variety of options, including river tourism, trekking and cycling, etc., in the greater Kaziranga area. The bird festival is also coming up in a few days.”

A senior official of the Assam government’s tourism department told IANS, “Guwahati and Shillong top the chart for favourite destinations among the tourists. People visit Kaziranga National Park, Cherrapunji. etc. The hotels in the city have seen quite high numbers of bookings since Christmas.”

The luxurious hotels in Guwahati have decked up to offer the guests a range of programmes.

According to a senior official from Radisson Blu, one of the largest luxurious hotels in the region said, “The guests will welcome New Year with an extravagant gala dinner buffet along with interactive stations, live music at the courtyard, unlimited beverages and revel in the comfy ambience of our hotel on Sunday.”

The 5-star hotel has also packed its menu in view of the tourists arriving from across the country.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Guwahati, Diganta Barah has cautioned the people to maintain the traffic rules and regulations.

“The police teams will be deployed in the city on New Year’s Eve for citizens’ safety and security. People should also maintain the regulations laid down by the government. Driving of vehicles in the intoxicated state will be strictly prohibited and law-breakers will face stern punishment,” he said.

An official from another luxurious hotel Vivanta Guwahati told IANS, “The evening at our place promises to be an evening of fun and excitement for the guests with a choice of delectable cuisine, entertainment options. But we have also given the highest priority to provide a safe and secure environment for guests.”

–IANS

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