New Delhi : India’s Northeast is poised to emerge as one of the country’s most dynamic tourism frontiers, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday, describing the region as a cultural and ecological powerhouse with immense untapped potential.

Speaking at the fourth meeting of the high-level tourism task force in the national capital, Scindia stressed the need to strengthen last-mile connectivity, promote integrated planning, and adopt sustainability-driven development to generate long-term benefits for both local communities and the national economy.

He also proposed creating an annual festival calendar showcasing the region’s major cultural events to enhance visibility and deepen cultural awareness across India.

The meeting was convened by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), which has formed eight high-level task forces-each led by a Chief Minister of a northeastern state, alongside the Union DoNER Minister and three other northeastern Chief Ministers.

Scindia commended the “depth and quality” of the presentation made during the session and urged the Meghalaya government, which leads the tourism task force, to incorporate member feedback and submit the final report.

According to the ministry, the meeting marked a crucial step toward crafting an integrated and actionable tourism roadmap for the Northeast, with a focus on sharpening priorities, identifying persistent challenges, and accelerating coordinated implementation across the states.

Deliberations centred on unlocking the region’s vast tourism potential through enhanced multimodal connectivity, strengthened world-class infrastructure, development of globally competitive destinations, and expansion of adventure, eco-tourism, and culture-based tourism offerings. Officials said the strategy also emphasises promoting new tourism products rooted in the region’s nature, heritage, and diverse cultural traditions.

The meeting further highlighted the need to broaden skilling and training ecosystems, standardise service quality, and deepen capacity-building to ensure more local employment opportunities and sustainable industry growth. Stronger inter-state coordination, members agreed, will be vital for creating seamless tourism circuits and curated visitor experiences across the Northeast.

With renewed national focus and collaborative state-level engagement, the Northeast is positioning itself to become one of India’s most compelling tourism growth zones-combining natural beauty, cultural richness, and sustainable development.