EU Lifts 47-Year Travel Curbs on Assam, Boosting Tourism and Investment Hopes

The European Union (EU) has withdrawn its restrictive travel advisory for citizens of its 27 member countries visiting Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday. The decision, communicated through a letter from EU Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin, takes effect immediately and marks the end of advisories that had been in place since 1979.

The restrictions originated during the six-year Assam Agitation and subsequent insurgency by the United Liberation Front of Asom, leading many Western nations to warn against travel to the northeastern state. Australia and Japan had already lifted similar advisories after Assam hosted the Advantage Assam 2.0 investment summit in February 2025.

Chief Minister Sarma described the EU's move as a 'strong vote of confidence' that reflects the improved security situation and economic potential of Assam. He expressed optimism that the decision will attract more foreign tourists and investors, boosting the state's economy. 'A state suffers financially when foreign countries view it as trouble-torn,' he said, adding that the advisory had been 'a blot' on Assam for decades.

However, the EU travel advisory will continue to apply to three districts in eastern Assam—Charaideo, Dibrugarh, and Tinsukia—where the Disturbed Areas Act and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act remain in force. These districts, bordering Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, have been used by extremists for operations from hideouts in Myanmar's Sagaing division.

Chief Minister Sarma urged residents to invest in the hospitality sector by building homestays and nature-based campsites, emphasizing that foreign tourists often prefer local experiences over luxury hotels. He also encouraged offering indigenous Assamese cuisine to visitors.

The EU member states include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. The lifting of the advisory is expected to strengthen people-to-people ties and business links between Assam and Europe.