Shillong, Oct 13 (IANS): A confederation of tour operators in India's northeastern states Monday appealed to various rebel groups in the region not to harass tourists who visit the "Paradise Unexplored".

The North East India Tourism Confederation (NEITC), a conglomeration of tour operators and tourism stakeholders from eight northeastern states, made this appeal at a press conference on the eve of the third edition of the International Tourism Mart here in Meghalaya.

The three-day mart is to create a platform for tourism stakeholders from the northeast to showcase the region as a tourist destination and promote their products to domestic and international buyers.

Tour Operators Association of Assam member Tridib Sarma said: "We would soon meet various social organisations and send out appeals to rebel groups to accord "special status" to tourists and keep them outside the purview of their agitational programme."

He said: "If journalists and other emergency services are exempted from shutdown and strikes, we feel tourism-related activities and tourists should also be kept outside the purview of shutdowns and strikes in the interest of the people of the region."

Some tour operators feel that the rebel groups should emulate the Maoist insurgents in Nepal where they did not disrupt the tourism industry.

Nagaland Tourism Association president V. Vincent Belho said: "During the height of Maoist insurgency in Nepal, tourism industry was not affected as the rebels themselves helped tourists reach their destinations."

The tour operators also lamented that lack of "convergence" between the tourism stakeholders and the state governments is a major obstacle.

NEITC president E. Banlumlang Blah said: "We need the cooperation of everyone in this regard because we know that we are not doing well in the tourism sector, despite having the potential."