AFFLICTED BY THE PANDEMIC: THE INDUSTRY OF TOURISM

As we continue to sail through the inflictions of the pandemic, we look back on days that have undoubtedly left a mark in our lives, superficial or profound. The chaos that fell upon humanity silenced the tourist attractions around the world and reduced tens of thousands of people, whose lives depended upon tourism, to tears. 

 What exactly happened?

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS – COV) previously known as 2019 – n COV has challenged the global health scenario, affecting not only human health and welfare but also the political, social and economic conduct of numerous countries around the world. The SARS- COV 2 is highly communicable and spreads very rapidly. In a meeting on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the disease as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern as it had spread to 192 countries. On March 11, 2020, WHO declared the COVID-19 a global pandemic.

Along with several other spheres of economy, COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the tourism industry around the world.  This is mainly due to the travel restrictions that were implemented in different countries. Travellers have also been less during this period because of the same. Major tourist attraction sites like museums, amusement parks, sports venues, historical structures, places of natural beauty have been closed down for an indefinite time.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization stated that global international tourist arrivals have potentially decreased by 58% to 78% in 2020, leading to loss of 0.9 to 1.2 trillion US dollars in international tourism receipts. Planned travel went down by 80% to 90% in many prominent cities of the world. A 65% drop in international tourist arrivals was reported in the first 6 months of 2020 by the UNWTO.

The COVID-19 pandemic has handicapped the Indian travel and tourism industry as well. The entire sector will probably lose around Rs. 5 lakh crore or 65.57 billion dollars according to a study by industry chamber CII and hospitality consulting firm Hotelivate. Among these, the organized sector is likely to lose 2.5 billion dollars. In this atrocious crisis, all geographical segments like inbound, outbound, domestic; all tourism verticals like leisure, adventure, heritage, cruise, corporate and niche segments are affected. From October 2020 until the beginning of 2021, only 30% hotels have been occupied. This has seen an 80 to 85% erosion in revenue. The estimated loss in hotel for both branded and unbranded segments in 2020 was 19.31 billion dollars. The loss for travel agents and tour operators was around 4.77 billion dollars.

 Like most other states, the pandemic has also severely impacted the tourism economy of northeast India, thereby obstructing the growth of the same. Being an abode of natural beauty and scenic pleasure, the tourism industry of the region and the local brands continue to bear the burden of the pandemic due to uncertainty and confusion among stakeholders. Although there were reports of places opening up in December 2020, the deadly second wave that sprawled across the country continues to plague the industry. Moreover, lack of uniform protocol throughout the region also disrupted the seamless flow of tourists beginning this year.  

However, with the improvement in the COVID-19 scenario and removal of travel restrictions and lockdowns, and increasing flow of tourists, the tourism industry will definitely get the much needed boost.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO VISIT GOALPARA

Isn’t it worthwhile to know about a place before visiting?

Here is your ultimate guide to yet another striking place of Assam.

           Sri Surya Pahar | image credit: Prerana Das

                                              

 Often referred to as the land of Blue hills and Red river, Assam is endowed with not only a wide range of flora and fauna but also a rich history. The term Assam is believed to have originated from the word Ahom. The Ahoms were the rulers of the Brahmaputra Valley from the 12th to the 18th centuries. After the advent of the British rule in Assam, the term “Assam” was originally used for the tract of land ruled by the Ahoms. It was subsequently used to refer to the six districts of Brahmaputra Valley, Manipur, Surma Valley and the nearby Hill Districts.

The Hindu epics, the Pauranik and Tantrik Literature contain numerous references to ancient Assam. There is a constant mention of the great kingdom of Kamarupa of North East India in the Mahabharata, the Kalika Puran, the Vishnu Puran and the Jogini Tantra. Travellers and historians have been quite marvelled at the natural beauty of the region. Many of them have described about the fertile soil of the Brahmaputra Valley and have been enthralled by the damp and relaxing climate. They were amazed by the great prosperity and degree of civilization excelling in wide variety of arts.

One such place in Assam that caught the interest of travellers and historians, alike, since time immemorial is Goalpara.

Situated 134 kilometres to the west of Guwahati, Goalpara is a famous district of Assam. The name Goalpara is believed to have originated from the word "Gwaltippika" meaning Guwali village, or ‘The village of the milk men’. The word ‘para’ means village in local dialect.  The history of Goalpara is several centuries old. Sir Edward Gait in his book on the history of Assam mentioned that the erstwhile capital of the state of Kumar Bhaskar Varman was either in Goalpara or Coochbehar based on the Chronicles of the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang. It was a princely state ruled by the Rajbongshi kings who were also the rulers of the undivided kingdom of Coochbehar. The Goalpara district came under British Rule in 1765. The British annexed Assam in 1826. The original Goalpara district was first created in 1822 A.D. by David Scott- an employee of East India Company, who was the first Commissioner of newly created North East Rangpur district Hd. Qr. at Rangpur town(now in Bangladesh) and newly created Goalpara district was also tagged with North-East Rangpur district for administration. The erstwhile Bijni Kingdom's area which included the undivided Garo Hills district area also constituted the original Goalpara district area in 1822. In 1866 Garo Hills was separated from Goalpara district area and in the same year a new district named "Greater Koch Behar" was created and the residual portion of Goalpara district was withdrawn from Rangpur and tagged with Koch Behar. The British Government created the Assam Valley Province in 1874. The Goalpara district was made a part of the Assam Valley Province with its headquarters in Dhubri. This state of affairs continued during the British Reign. In 1983 the Goalpara District was carved out by integrating the Goalpara Sadar sub-division and North Salmara Civil sub-division. The district was again reorganised in 1989 wherein the North Salmara Civil Subdivision was merged with the Bongaigaon District. Now it consists of an area of 1824 square km bounded by West and East Garo Hill districts of Meghalaya on the South, Kamrup district on the East, Dhubri district on the West and mighty river Brahmaputra all along the Northern boundary.

Goalpara is bestowed with natural scenic beauty and a treasure trove of historical sites. It is home to stunning landscapes, rich culture and ancient structures. The Hulukanda Hill, with various kinds of waterfowl and monkeys located in the heart of Goalpara, on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, is a major sight of attraction in the town. Some other water bodies are Hashila beel, Kumri beel, Dhamar Risen beel and Urpad Beel. The Urpad Beel is a natural space for migratory birds from the months of October to March. A rippling landscape is created by the evergreen forests present on its low hills.

The most significant archaeological site and a place of historical importance in Goalpara is the Sri Surjya Pahar. The cultural heritage of the three ancient Indian religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are on full display at this place. The Dadan Hill consists of a Shiva Temple on its top. The temple was built by Dadan, a general of the army of King Bana of Sonitpur. Many mythological stories of the past are related to this mystical hill.

 Pir Majhar, a tomb of a saint named Hazarat Sayed Abul Kashem Kharasani, a saint respected by Hindus and Muslims alike is situated at the heart of the Goalpara town.

Sri Tukreswari hill and Paglartek Baba at Barbhita are other notable places of attraction in Goalpara District.

So, if you are planning to visit the beautiful state of Assam, make sure to explore the historical and ancient district of Goalpara and don’t forget to enlighten your friends and family with our ultimate guide.

 

Stay safe

Until the next time.

 

 

 

THE CHANDUBI LAKE

 Hello people, hope you all are good and safe. Today we are here to introduce you to one of the beautiful lakes in Assam, the Chandubi Lake.

Most people in Assam know about this lake but for those who don't Chandubi Lake is a natural, picturesque lake loacted in the Kamrup district of Assam, at a distance of around 64 kilometres from the Guwahati city. This lake is a natural sightseeing as well as picnic spot and is nested at the foot of the Garo hills surrounded by Meghalaya and Assam. The lake offers fishing, camping and rowing opportunities and the tourists can also see different migratory birds there. To tell about the inception of the lake, the lake was formed on 12 June, 1897 at the evening Assam earthquake, when the forest went down and became the lake.

The Chandubi Lake is just 20 minutes beyond Mirza. Small villages are spread wide across the place and they offer you with ethnic handicrafts and the perfect countryside view of India. Most tourists visit the place in the first week of January during the Changdubi Festival wherein the locals of the nearby villages perform their traditional or cultural dance forms and also set up stalls that offer local tempting traditional food.

Not being too far from the city of Guwahati, Chandubi attracts the weekender crowd from there, although people from other parts of the world hardly know about it. We, being travel enthusiasts, were looking for a calm place to visit in a short span of time, after all we have our work lives too. That is when Homestays of India came into our sight and after an interaction with them we were convinced to visit the beautiful Chandubi Lake. 

Homestays of India is a social enterprise dedicated to support and promote authentic family run homestays across India, by providing tourists an unique experience and the locals with an alternate source of income. 

We left for the place on a Saturday evening, passing by some small villages and listening to the music playing in our car we reached our destination swiftly. As we were approaching our destination, we could feel the noise of the city traffic slowly fade away from our catch. We entered into our rooms and quickly freshened up. We were then provided us with our tea and evening snacks by the lovely people at Kite Manja. Our phones weren't receiving signals by then. Just for the information of you people, we'd like to mention that only in some areas or corners of the place, Airtel and Jio networks work. We opted for a short walk around the place and as we were already tired, we had our dinner and went for a peaceful sleep as the next day was gonna be full of adventure for us. 

The dinner included something different than normal veggies as Rahul Da (Mr. Rahul Sharma) from Kite Manja provided us with dishes cooked using homegrown organic vegetables and also green salad. Green seeds or microgreens are big on nutrition and taste but can be very expensive. Rex Da, who takes care of the property, Ellora, Shyamal and Babu and the rest of the crew at Kite Manja ensured that we had a great time at the Chandubi Eco Camp and made our stay a comfortable and a memorable one. These guys are the best in the line, their hospitality and the services they offer are unmatchable. Recently, they organised Open Air Movie & Camping on the 13th & 14th of Feb'21.  

The next morning, we wake up to the sound of the birds chirping and saw the sunrise and were just left in awe of the beauty the lake and its surroundings possess. Having our tea while walking besides the lake and under the Sal trees was a soothing experience for us. We went for a little trekking, visited the waterfall there and also went for some cycling around the place. Our trip became more fun when we met some sweet and lovely people at Chandubi including Ziko Da, Shekhar Da and their families who had also come to visit the Chandubi Lake. 

 This had been one of the best short trips covered by us. Having exotic and mouth-watering local dishes, sitting by the bonfire and singing songs and spending time in our tents, Aahhhhhh! can't explain in words what we have experienced. And to provide you lovely people with similar experience Travel Northeast has partnered with the bests in the business to provide you a comfortable stay at Chandubi .

Planning for excursions or trips around Northeast India, just remember us to reduce your burden of travel bookings. You can also rent cars and self- drive motorcycles from us for visiting the Chandubi Lake.

Just call us at: 8811909095 or mail us @travelnortheast_@outlook.com .

You can also contact us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you.

5 places to visit when you are in Guwahati

 

Hello everyone, hope you”ll are fine.

We are back as we said and today we are gonna tell you about 5 places you should definitely visit when you are in Guwahati. So let’s beginnnn!

As our organization hails from Guwahati itself, its an honour for us to be telling you people about our hometown.

Guwahati is the largest city in the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in the entire Northeast India. Guwahati was formerly known as Pragjyotishpur, mention of which can be found in various mythological books of India. Guwahati lies between the banks of the Brahmaputra river and the foothills of Shillong. Guwahati is one of the fastest growing cities in India. It is also known as the “Gateway to NorthEast India”.

There are innumerable things that can be told about Guwahati but that would take many days to be done with, so let’s get going and here the 5 places we’re gonna tell you about today.

 

     1. Kamakhya Temple

The Kamakhya Temple is a temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya. Situated in the Nilachal hills in Guwahati, this is one of the oldest temples in India. Kamakhya temple is the main temple in the complex with several other individual temples located all around the hill. This is an important pilgrimage destination for the Hindus especially for tantriks. Tantriks from all around India as well as large number of foreign tourists gather in the temple complex during the festival of Ambubachi Mela. You can visit the temple complex anytime in the day but if you have plans to seek darshan then its gonna take some time for you.

 2. Deepor Bil

Deepor Bil is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra river, located to the south-west of Guwahati city. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘dipa’ meaning elephant and the Assamese word ‘bil’ meaning a lake or a large aquatic body. This lake is reportedly providing livelihood directly or indirectly to around 1200 families, primarily through fishing. The area surrounding Deepor Bil is a house for various wild animals mostly elephants and also various migratory birds are seen around the area. We would suggest to visit the lake late at the afternoon to sit and watch the picturesque scenery.

3.    Umananda Island

Umananda Island is located at the middle of the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati. It is known as the smallest inhabited riverine island in the world. This island also houses the Umananda Temple which is devoted to Lord Shiva. You can take ferries or boats from the Kachari Ghat to reach the island. The view of the island from the shore will leave you spellbound.

 4.    The Ropeway Terminal

India’s longest river ropeway is located in Guwahati. The one of a kind ropeway across the Brahmaputra river connects the southern part of the city (from Kachari Ghat) to the northern part of the city (North Guwahati). The ropeway travels over the Umananda island giving you an eagle’s eye view of the island. The northern end of the ropeway is also very close to the Doul Gobindo Temple (a temple devoted to Lord Krishna).

           

 5.    Shopping at Fancy Bazaar

Fancy Bazaar can probably be called as the best flea market across Guwahati, where you can find anything and everything ranging from accessories, clothing, electrical appliances, stationery items, etc. at the most reasonable prices. It is a busy, crowded and chaotic area consisting of large wholesale markets, food stalls, small stores, roadside stalls and brand outlets as well. You can also enjoy finger licking street food, sweets and other delicious eateries there.

Planning to visit Guwahati anytime soon? Why don’t you let us know. We’ll sort out the plans for you at the best prices.

Just call us at: 8811909095 or mail us @travelnortheast_@outlook.com .

You can also contact us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you.

 

 

We are Travel Northeast

Hello people!

Everyone who is reading this, wishing you all a Happy New Year 2021. May we all propser in our lives and be healthy and safe.

This is our first post and is basically gonna be an introductory post. Try not to leave reading this post halfway. Afterall we've got to stay connected for a long time. What say?

With the start of a new year, we at Travel Northeast thought of starting a new blog to tell our friends, our audience more about NorthEast India. And help and guide you to plan your trips throughout NorthEast India. 

So let's begin....

Who are we?

We are Travel Northeast. 

Where are we from?

Our office is located in Guwahati city of Assam, India.

What do we do?

We plan trips for our customers all over India. 

We know how much cumbersome planning a trip yourself can be. We are here to take over your burden and plan tours for you, provide you the best packages at the best rates possible.

 Customer satisfaction is our primary goal and we do the best for our customers. 

We believe  “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

That's all for now from our side. We'll keep bringing you content about tourism and travelling in India.

Do visit our Instagram page, we have a contest going on currently.

 Thank You.