New Delhi: Thousands of people gathered at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to attend the North East Festival despite the chilly winter weather.

The festival is back in its energetic guise after two years of pandemic-induced quiet. The four-day carnival, which started on December 23, has drawn a huge crowd of foodies, shoppers, and music and travel fans. 

The Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Narayan Rane, inaugurated the “MSME Exhibition” at the 10th Edition of North East Festival organised in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.

Visitors were spotted asking enquiring about travel options and packages, and some expressed interest in taking tourism-related courses to learn more about the area's rich culture and traditions.

Despite never having the opportunity, I have read about North East India. But I'd really want to arrange a vacation to Assam's tea estates.

He was astounded by the North East Festival's distinct flavours. My favourites were Phalap tea from the Singpho tribe and Bluepea tea. I even placed an order for a few kilogrammes of various sorts and also purchased a few Naga and Manipuri outfits. The patterns, materials, and colours are astounding," stated Chandni Makhija, an aspirant fashion designer from NIIFT, Delhi.

Harkrishna Nahata, an advocate for the Supreme Court, was spotted eating regional delicacies in the northeast with his family and friends.

The North East Festival has always strived to develop an effective investment climate that would improve the region's economic fortunes and turn India's North East into a thriving business and tourism destination.

Shyamkanu Mahanta, the festival's chief organiser stated, "We wish to make a significant contribution to the economic growth of the region and give chances for tourist and commercial results by presenting our rich culture and history via numerous initiatives; for example, B2B meetings, tourism awareness programmes, and showcasing our food, music, art, and craft. We have been successful in highlighting the North East region's tourist potential and establishing connections between travellers and tour operators. I really believe that our festival can significantly increase regional tourism."

Travel agents and tourists have asked Firingoti Curated Tours by Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty and Anuj Kumar Boruah about their offers and packages. They specialise in high-end experience curated tours that are specifically created for North East India. According to Firingoti Co-founder, "We offer personalised services to tourists wishing to experience the area in its actual context and go beyond Instagram updates." The North East Festival has facilitated our interactions with both tourists and potential tour providers.

Participants Sanjay Borah and Arnab A. Garg of SAI Holidays were thrilled to have gotten positive feedback. "Visitors are asking about our packages to several states in the area. Additionally, we have successfully closed 20 B2B partnership possibilities.

The North East Festival is a fantastic venue for promoting and increasing awareness of our wide range of attractions, including food, handicrafts, music, heritage, and more. We are thrilled to see interest in visiting the North East.

Speaking at the inauguration, Rane said that North East Festival will provide an opportunity to entrepreneurs from North East regions, especially, women and Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes entrepreneurs to show-case their skills/products and create new opportunities for growth and be self-reliant.

We have lately witnessed a spike in tea tourism, according to tea entrepreneur Ranjit Baruah, owner of the well-known Aromica Tea. In the North East states, it has the highest potential to produce money and job possibilities. The North East Festival is doing a great job of promoting the opportunities and providing our tea business with the visibility it sorely needs. 

The festival, on the third day, had some scintillating fashion shows and power-packed musical performances by Trance Effect, Sangpoispo, TabaChake, Teri Miko, and Assam’s heartthrob Zubeen Garg.

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