Northeast India (NER), comprising eight ecologically and culturally distinct states, constitutes one of India’s most environmentally sensitive tourism frontiers. Exceptional biodiversity, indigenous governance systems, and fragile mountain and riverine ecosystems render the region simultaneously attractive for tourism and acutely vulnerable to unregulated development. This paper examines sustainable tourism in Northeast India through a legal and governance lens, focusing on the interaction between environmental statutes, forest and tribal rights legislation, tourism policy instruments, and emerging regulatory practices. It argues that despite progressive national strategies emphasizing sustainability, tourism governance in the region remains undermined by fragmented enforcement, weak spatial planning, and inadequate institutionalization of community rights.

Drawing on constitutional environmental principles, forest and wildlife jurisprudence, and the rights framework underneath the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the paper demonstrates how the absence of binding tourism zonation and carrying capacity norms has enabled ad hoc infrastructure development and ecological degradation. It further analyses the marginalization of native and home-grown communities in tourism decision-making, highlighting the need to operationalize Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) beyond policy rhetoric. To address these gaps, the paper proposes an integrated legal framework that combines statutory tourism zonation regulations with contract-based governance tools, embedding enforceable FPIC and benefit-sharing obligations within tourism concession agreements.