Manipur set to emerge as an hot spot for eco-tourism

Imphal, Aug 2 (UNI) The Manipur Government has urged the Centre to lift all restrictions on visitors to the state and convert Imphal's Tulihal airport into an international airport to encourage tourism.

Tourism Minister T N Haokip said this would give the 'much desired' fillip to tourism as Manipur has potential of developing into an eco-freindly hot spot, preferred by most of the tourists.

As of now, the foreign tourists inflow into the state is negligible. The minister said though the law and order in Jammu and Kashmir was not good, the Centre had not imposed any restrictions to foreign tourists entering into the territory.

''In the name of law and order, certain parts of the country like ours suffered,'' he added.

When asked about the tourism infrastructure development, the Minister replied, ''We are inviting investors for construction of hotels and tourist homes in Manipur. We will encourage constructing three-star hotels in Manipur. Besides the facility of five-year tax holiday, the Centre is extending a maximum of Rs 75 lakh subsidy to the construction of three -star hotel.'' When asked about the prospects of foreign tourists, the Minister expressed that Manipur was the place where tricolor INA flag was hoisted for the first time on Indian soil. It was the battlefield of the World War II where many Japanese died. It had British War Cemetery for the Britishers who died in the World War II. Hence, Japanese, Britishers and those involved in INA movement had their emotional attachment to Manipur.

In 1990s many war veterans from Japan came to Manipur and offered sweets to their forefathers, Manipur Information Centre said. More than 70,000 Japanese looked for Manipur but a lucky few reached to Manipur. The Minister said, ''Germany had a wall but now it had fallen. So why does the provervial wall wexist in Manipur?'' When asked about the effect of insurgents on tourists in Manipur, he said they never touch the tourists. Rather they welcomed and admired tourists, he added.

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