The Assam government on Saturday signed an MoU with the Tata Group for building a Rs 120-crore five-star hotel in Hathikuli tea garden in Kaziranga area.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said there has been a record increase in footfall in Kaziranga after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's overnight stay at the world heritage site earlier this year.

"We are taking forward the prime minister's thrust in developing tourism in the region and to further attract tourists to the state," he said.

The MoU was signed for the establishment of a five-star property in Kaziranga which will provide world-class experience to visitors and encourage them to spend more time in Assam, Sarma said.

"I have been requesting the Tata Group for a five-star hotel in Kaziranga for a long time. We need a good hotel there as people usually spend a day or maybe stay overnight," he said.

"The tourism industry will be successful when people come to Assam and stay here for at least two days," Sarma added.

The state government will provide all possible help to the Tata Group so that the hotel can come up in record time, he said.

The project, once fully operational, would generate not less than 200 direct employment opportunities, and will contribute significantly towards the luxury hospitality experience in Kaziranga, the chief minister said.

The Tata Group also plans to set up Taj Gateway Hotel at a location between Guwahati and Jagiroad, he said.

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