Guwahati, April 6: The North East India Tourism Confederation (NEITC) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators (ABTO) to promote Buddhist cultural tourism across the Northeast.

The MoU was formalised during the National Tourism Convention and Familiarisation (FAM) Tour in March at Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh. NEITC, which represents tourism organisations across the region, said the partnership aims to improve international access to Buddhist sites and support the identification of lesser-known heritage locations.

Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Convention Chairman Tsering Wange said the initiative would expand Buddhist tourism beyond traditional destinations like Bodh Gaya and Tibet to include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and other parts of the Northeast.

ABTO operates in 25 countries, and NEITC said the collaboration would help position the Northeast within the global Buddhist tourism circuit while fostering regional cooperation and tourism-linked opportunities across multiple states.

Alongside the MoU announcement, NEITC marked a leadership transition with the newly elected governing council and executive committee taking charge. 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)

The office bearers said their focus would be on expanding the visibility of Northeast India as a tourism destination at both national and international levels. NEITC described the developments as a coordinated effort to strengthen institutional leadership, improve collaboration, and support the long-term growth of the region’s tourism sector.