Tripura has witnessed significant rise in tourist footfall over the past few years, Chief Minister Prof. (Dr) Manik Saha said on Thursday.

He was addressing the gathering after inauguration of tourism facilities at the Sulma Dongur Tuisoi or Sanaiya Waterfall, located in Sanaiya Reang Para of Kamalpur under Dhalai district.

He further highlighted that in the 2023-24 financial year, 4.70 lakh domestic tourists and over 75,000 international tourists visited Tripura.

“The number of tourists is on the rise, and it will continue to increase. People often visit Sikkim, Darjeeling, Meghalaya, and other parts of the Northeast, so why not Tripura? Those who were in power for many years never worked towards promoting Tripura’s tourism. They simply blamed the central government and neglected Tripura. There are numerous hidden treasures in the state. Since the BJP formed the government, we have been exploring these hidden spots. We have also introduced the Tripura Tourism Policy to attract investors, and investors are indeed showing interest," Dr Saha stated.

The Sulma Dongur Tuisoi Waterfall is located at 130 km distance from Agartala.

"After Saurav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, became the brand ambassador for Tripura Tourism, tourist footfall has increased," the Chief Minister said. He also stressed on promoting tourism in social media.

"If we can effectively use social media to promote such attractions, more people will visit. Tripura has many hidden gems that people are unaware of. We are leveraging social media and brand ambassadors to promote Tripura Tourism. More efforts are needed to make Tripura better known," said Dr Saha.

He mentioned that under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme, infrastructure development is planned for tourist locations like Chabimura, Sepahijala, Neer Mahal, Ujjayanta Palace, Dumboor Hill, and Unakoti.

"Additionally, we have organized light and sound shows that highlight the princely regime at Ujjayanta Palace. It is essential to treat tourists from outside Tripura with politeness, ensure their safety, and make them feel welcome. Under the PRASAD scheme, we are renovating the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple, and the work is nearly complete. Once the development work is finished, even more visitors will come. Additionally, under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, the development of tourist spots in Agartala and Unakoti has been principally agreed upon," he added.

Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Dhalai Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati, Sushmita Das, MLAs Manoj Kanti Deb and Swapna Das Pal, Tripura Tourism Director Prasant Badal Negi, Dhalai District Magistrate (DM) Saju Vaheed, and Dhalai district SP Avinash Rai were also present.