Tourism Minister claims Nagaland has one of the highest tourist footfalls

January 29, 2024 21 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Chümoukedima | January 29

Minster for Tourism & Higher Education, Temjen Imna Along on Sunday stated that Nagaland has one of the highest tourist footfalls in the country, going by state size and population. He said that the percentage of tourists compared to the population of Nagaland (per capita) is approximately 15%.

“The number of tourist footfall in Nagaland according to the population of our state is approximately 15% of our whole population. So I think if you look at the statistics of India, in terms of the states and the area, then Nagaland is one of the highest,” the Minster said during the the sidelines of the 17th Bishu Mini Hornbill Festival at Dhansiripar village, Chümoukedima on January 28.

This however is in contrast to data furnished by the Union Tourism Minister at the Lok Sabha on December 11 stating that Nagaland state had recorded the second-lowest tourist footfall among 37 states and Union Territories (UTs) in India in 2022 at a mere 0.10 million (1 lakh). In comparison, the other North-eastern states recorded more– Sikkim (1.69 mn), Meghalaya (0.94 mn), Tripura (0.24 mn), Arunachal Pradesh (0.22 mn), Mizoram (0.22 mn) and Manipur (0.14).

Along meanwhile went on to assert that the quality of tourism, with regard to not only the scenic beauty but the traditions and the cultural vibrancy of Nagaland is unique and the state has come thus far through the efforts of leaders like Neiphiu Rio, Dr SC Jamir, Department of Art and Culture and other line departments. “So today the Hornbill Festival is known throughout the world, now if you just look at the amount of people that comes and goes, that is not how we look at tourism in one way,” he said.

The Nagaland Tourism Minister noted that Nagaland Government and the Department of Tourism looks at the tourism industry in a holistic manner with quality and experience. So we want experiential people to come and enjoy the land of the Nagas, not just coming and going, he added. With this year set to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hornbill festival, Along said that the government is envisioning to take the event forward, to see Nagaland as a land of experience, festivals, traditions, culture and unique inclusiveness. So experiencing it, it is not just about the dance and songs, but experiencing their culture, traditions or joy, he said.

In regard to the issue of traffic congestion during Hornbill, the Minister stated that he was in serious discussion with the Chief Minister for expansion of the venue. “You can imagine the popularity of the festival by its traffic jam, it is not for the government to keep on building parking lots but it is also for the people to come, to be conscious environmentally and also be strategic,” he said. If everyone wants to bring their own personal vehicles, it is going to be problematic, Along added.

On being queried about the possibility of the Hornbill Festival being a 24×7 event, the Minister announced that the cabinet along with the Chief Minister is in talks in this regard. We are planning to do something after March, at least the Heritage area we want to open it, he revealed. However for this to transpire he said would require strategic planning and responsible maneuvering.

Meanwhile, in view of the upcoming state HSLC and HSSLC exams, he said that the government will request the Power Department to ensure that electricity is provided consistently for the students to study. “It is not that exam has arrived so power supply will be stopped; we know our power crisis, so let us see,” he said.