Potential of wellness tourism in Nagaland

Our Correspondent
Kohima | January 22

Blessed with salubrious climatic conditions and rain washed green hills, the state of Nagaland enjoys naturally air conditioned surroundings.

Forests of Nagaland are one among those having rich-biodiversity especially in terms of flora, according to the annual administrative report of tourism department 2017-18.

Located in one of the 25 hotspots regions of the world in terms of bio-diversity with forest covering an area of 13, 318 sq.km corresponding to 80.33% of the state total geographical area, Nagaland possesses a vast variety of herbal and medical plants, the report stated. “This exotic feature creates a great potential for promotion of wellness tourism in Nagaland,” the report stated.

Wellness tourism embodies travel for the purpose of promoting health and well-being through physical, psychological or spiritual activities, the report added.
 
Experiential tourism

Experiential travel also known as ‘immersion travel” or “immersion experience” is a form of tourism in where people focus experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture living it, the report stated.

In Nagaland, the development of rural areas and villages can provide an ideal solution for promotion of this form of tourism.

Again, several factors like increasing levels of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture, improved accessibility, and environmental consciousness are shifting the trend towards rural tourism and as such Nagaland state has a vast potential for developing such form of tourism, the report stated.

In the state, the implementation of such kind of tourism is done through Village Tourism Development Board, the report stated adding that identification of villages is based on the merits of tourism point of view where villages are identified for taking up of rural tourism projects after a thorough survey and inspection by the department of tourism.