Assam looks for new tourism logo

Assam hunt for new logo - State’s many attractions to replace rhino, contest on

ROOPAK GOSWAMI

Pristine beauty The one-horned rhino is about to lose its monopoly over Assam tourism logo with Dispur waking up to the state’s varied attractions. “Rhino is important but there are other things as well which can be showcased to the world,” Anurag Singh, the managing director of Assam Tourism Development Corporation, told The Telegraph. “Assam has wonderful rivers, forests and a diverse and vibrant culture. There is the river island of Majuli, too. We cannot hold on to the rhino forever,” he said. Having woken up to this reality, the Assam Tourism Development Corporation has decided to do away with its logo depicting a charging one-horned rhino — the state animal — and replace it with one that would project the state’s multi-dimensional tourist attractions. Along with the rhino, the logo’s green background and theme will also change. “The dynamics of tourism is evolving all the time and we cannot afford to be static. We have to be in sync with the changes. The logo should be based on the culture, history, biodiversity and other aspects of the state. It needs to be a colourful logo, reflecting a multi-hued Assam,” Singh said. The ATDC has announced a competition for designing the logo, its punchline and theme. Singh said the punchline should be catchy and original and should portray the state’s image. The theme slogan should be in three to four words. A committee will select the best entries and award cash prizes. In fact, the ATDC website says Assam is a state of large geographical and cultural diversity, often a surprise for tourists who mostly know it for its tea plantations. The corporation plans to woo tourists by tapping and promoting the state’s ample attractions. This includes eco and adventure tourism, river tourism, rural tourism, tea and golf tourism, fairs, festivals and games. The mighty Brahmaputra, the lifeline of the people of Assam, provides ample opportunities for river tourism. Singh said a five-star luxury cruise, MV Mahabahu, would be started from March 18 in the public-private participation mode. The vessel will travel from Guwahati to Dibrugarh and cover Kaziranga and Orang National Parks and the historical towns of Tezpur and Sivasagar in seven days. Welcoming the initiative for the new logo, Ashish Phukan, managing director of Assam-Bengal Navigation, which runs two cruises ABN Charaidew and ABN Sukapha in Assam and Bengal, said the logo should be “simple and easy to recollect”. Besides, no other state in the country offers as many as 20 golf courses within a compact area. The Union tourism ministry has also identified a national park mega circuit covering Manas, Orang, Nameri, Kaziranga, Jorhat, Sivasagar and Majuli, as part of the mega tourist circuits. About 40 lakh domestic tourists and 20,000 foreigners had visited Assam last year. Speakers at the Assam tourism brand summit held last year had said the state would have to do some serious soul-searching if it intended to stop “waiting” and start counting itself as a must-visit destination. Singh said they had received a terrific response at the just-concluded Surajkund melawhere Assam was the theme state. eom