Aizawl, February 17 Mizoram is steadily emerging as the fastest-growing tourist destination in Northeast India, driven by railway connectivity and a surge in high-value infrastructure investments, Governor VK Singh said on Tuesday.
Addressing the assembly on the first day of the budget session, Singh hailed the new Bairabi-Sairang railway line as a "historic milestone," stating that it has brought a paradigm shift in accessibility and created new opportunities for trade, tourism, and employment.
The railway link has not only integrated Aizawl into the national grid but has also led to a sharp increase in tourist arrivals, he said.
He said that a total of over 6.79 lakh tourists, including 9,606 foreign tourists, visited the state from January to December 2025.
"This figure has already surpassed the total tourist footfall of the previous year by 29.50 per cent," he said.
"The momentum reached a peak in December, which saw over 1.33 lakh visitors, a staggering 122.11 per cent increase compared to the same month in the previous year," he said.
Singh said that the state government has been making constant efforts to promote eco-tourism and has received significant central support.
He said that the state government has received ₹34.5 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme for the construction of a ropeway at Vantawng Falls near Thenzawl in Mamit district.
He also said that the Union Tourism Ministry has sanctioned ₹5.47 crore under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme for the development of basic amenities at Vangchhia in Champhai district, which is home to about 170 menhirs.
Additionally, the state government has also received ₹9.97 crore from the Tourism Ministry for the construction of a convention center at Thingsulthliah in Saitual district, the governor said.
"To ensure sustainable growth, the state Tourism Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state Environment, Forests & Climate Change department. This partnership, formalized during the first Mizoram Travel Fest in October 2025, aims to strengthen cooperation for the promotion of eco-tourism," he said.