NEITC signs MoU with ABTO to boost Buddhist cultural tourism in Northeast; new office bearers take charge
Guwahati, Rongili Barta: The North East India Tourism Confederation (NEITC) on Monday announced the signing of a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) to promote Buddhist cultural tourism in the Northeast.
NEITC, the apex body representing tourism organisations across the region, said the MoU was formalised during the National Tourism Convention and Familiarisation (FAM) Tour held in March at Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh.
According to NEITC, the partnership aims to facilitate international travel to Buddhist sites across the Northeast by providing structured information access and improving travel coordination for foreign visitors. The collaboration is also expected to support the identification and promotion of lesser-known Buddhist heritage locations in the region.
Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Convention Chairman Tsering Wange said the initiative would help expand the scope of Buddhist tourism beyond traditional destinations.
“Till now, international visitors have largely travelled to Bodh Gaya or Tibet for Buddhist cultural tourism. Through this collaboration, we aim to promote destinations in Arunachal Pradesh, parts of Assam, and Sikkim, while also opening up other areas of the Northeast,” Wange said.
ABTO has a presence across 25 countries, and NEITC said the partnership would help position the Northeast within the broader global Buddhist tourism circuit.
The organisation added that the MoU is expected to strengthen regional cooperation and create tourism-linked opportunities across multiple states.
Alongside the announcement, NEITC also marked a leadership transition with the formal assumption of charge by its newly elected governing council and the introduction of its executive committee.
The new office bearers are:
- Tsering Wange – President (Arunachal Pradesh)
- Elina Satapathy – Vice President-I (Manipur)
- Jhantu Roy – Vice President-II (Tripura)
- Yangchen Tongden Lepcha – General Secretary (Sikkim)
- Joe RZ Thanga – Joint Secretary (Mizoram)
- Rajkumar Das – Treasurer (Assam)
Addressing the media, the new office bearers said their focus would be to expand the visibility of Northeast India as a tourism destination at both national and international levels.
NEITC said the developments mark a coordinated step towards strengthening institutional leadership, improving collaboration, and advancing long-term growth of the tourism sector in the region.