NEIHRA Formed to Boost Hospitality and Tourism in Northeast

The hospitality industry of the Northeast has received a major boost with the formal constitution of the North East India Hotel and Restaurant Association (NEIHRA). Formed under the aegis of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Assam (HRAA), NEIHRA will represent hotels and restaurants across all eight northeastern states, working as a collective body to address the unique challenges faced by the sector.

The association seeks to provide a unified platform for hoteliers and restaurateurs in the region, facilitating collaboration with the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and the Hotel Association of India (HAI). It also aims to engage with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and other government agencies to attract greater investment and promote the overall growth of the hospitality sector.

Announcing the formation, NEIHRA President Bishwanath Goenka said the hospitality industry in the Northeast holds immense potential but continues to face persistent challenges. “With collaborative efforts, we hope to address infrastructure gaps, policy hurdles, and workforce shortages to make the region more attractive for domestic and international travelers,” he said.

NEIHRA’s immediate priorities include addressing region-specific concerns of hotels and restaurants, strengthening collaboration with central and state governments to promote tourism, and tackling legal, policy, and workforce-related challenges. It also plans to build stronger connections with national hospitality bodies to ensure greater representation for the region on a larger platform.

The newly elected office bearers for 2025–26 are: President Bishwanath Goenka (Guwahati, Assam), Senior Vice President Arun Sharma (Guwahati, Assam), Vice Presidents Kishan Tibreula (Shillong, Meghalaya), Nauba Thangjam (Imphal, Manipur), and Shraddha Sharma (Gangtok, Sikkim). Tridib Sharma (Guwahati, Assam) has been appointed as Honorary Secretary, with Paramveer Singh Sahdev (Shillong, Meghalaya) and Sumit Saha (Agartala, Tripura) as Honorary Joint Secretaries, and Yuvraj Sharma (Guwahati, Assam) as Honorary Treasurer.

Expressing optimism about the initiative, NEIHRA emphasized that its collaborative approach will help create a stronger, more vibrant hospitality ecosystem in the Northeast and drive tourism-led economic growth in the years to come.