Agartala, September 3:
Tripura’s tourism sector is witnessing a steady rise in tourist arrivals, with the state recording a 3.5 per cent increase in tourist footfall over 2025, Tourism and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said on Thursday.
Against this backdrop, the state has introduced two technology-driven initiatives aimed at improving the visitor experience — a Tourism Metaverse facility at the Tourist Information Centre in Agartala and app-based auto and cab services at key transport points.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch programme at MBB airport, Chowdhury said the Tourism Metaverse facility would offer visitors a three-dimensional virtual experience of Tripura’s tourist destinations.
The minister described it as the first Tourism Metaverse-based facility launched in India, and said the initiative could open a new avenue for promoting Tripura’s tourism destinations and attracting more visitors.
Through the facility, tourists and prospective travellers can virtually explore different destinations using 3D presentations before planning their visits.
Chowdhury said the 3.5 per cent growth in tourist footfall had been mentioned in the government’s response to a question in the Tripura Assembly. The rising numbers, he said, point to the expanding potential of the state’s tourism sector.
Alongside the tourism initiative, the government also launched an app-based auto and cab booking service, a move aimed at addressing a long-standing demand for convenient local transportation.
The service has been made available at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport and railway stations, enabling passengers arriving in Tripura to access app-based local transport.
Chowdhury said the initiative would benefit both residents and visitors by making local travel more convenient and organised. Improved last-mile connectivity, he added, would also complement the state’s efforts to expand tourism.
The minister said the government was simultaneously pursuing better air connectivity, including the proposed operation of flights from Kailashahar Airport under the modified UDAN regional connectivity scheme.
He said an airline has been selected through the prescribed tender process for the proposed service, while another agency has been entrusted with assessing the airport’s infrastructure, including the runway and ATC facilities. The survey report would determine the subsequent course of action, he said.
On concerns over a reduction in flights from MBB Airport, Chowdhury said airline schedules were primarily influenced by commercial viability and passenger demand. He said the state government was making efforts, in coordination with the Centre and the Civil Aviation Ministry, to maintain existing connectivity and bring in additional air services.
With tourist footfall on the rise, the government is seeking to strengthen Tripura’s tourism infrastructure through improved connectivity, digital visitor services and technology-based initiatives such as the Tourism Metaverse.
