Veroli Zhimo
Tourism has never been more relevant. Nor has its importance to both societies and economies been more visible as it is right now. The COVID-19 pandemic, in prompting the introduction of travel restrictions, and a massive fall in demand for travel, brought the sector to a near-complete standstill. In doing so, it put thousands of jobs at risk, placed thousands of businesses in jeopardy.
As the world steadily opens up again, the restarting of tourism is bringing hope to people around the globe, and the same is felt in Nagaland where the push for promoting tourism as a priority sector for the state’s economic future has become more urgent. However, as much as the realisation that tourism is an important tool for effecting economic growth has kicked in, one has to wonder if Nagaland has the infrastructure to support the state government’s ambition to make the state a ‘hotspot’ for tourism.
Casual observations made during this writer’s recent exposure trip to Sikkim with other journalists and officials from the Information and Public Relations Department of Nagaland, point towards the negative.
What is infrastructure? A text book, or in this case the Oxford English Dictionary, defines it as “the basic systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organisation to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport and water and power supplies.”
In the case of Sikkim, an average of 5,000 tourists enter the State daily during the peak season, according to official records. In March 2022 when the tourist season kicked off, about 30,000 tourists had already visited the scenic North Sikkim district within the month. Tour operators say that the numbers remain constant during the two seasons—from March to May and October to December. The numbers are staggering when compared to the footfall of tourists in Nagaland where the primary attraction is the ten-day Hornbill Festival in December.
Despite the large footfall, Sikkim has been largely successful in hosting the tourists in the well maintained hotels, home stays and resorts not only in its capital city of Gangtok but across the state. Along with this, the roads leading to various tourist attractions scattered across the state are well maintained even in difficult terrain with altitudes as high as 18,000 ft above sea level.
Natural assets like the biodiversity and scenic landscapes, which attract a significant number of visitors, are in many ways, better protected, as it is not just the government playing a proactive role in its conservation and preservation.
Take for example, the 4 hour drive between Gangtok to Lachung, a mountain village in North Sikkim— clean toilets are attached to dhabas, shops and other restaurants along the narrow highway and those are the only places where taxi drivers will agree to stop. Besides this, prominent signboards dot the mountain sides requesting visitors not to pluck flowers, plants, etc., and while police personnel at check gates will give verbal reminders, compliance to these requests are monitored by tour guides and taxi drivers.
This is not to say that Sikkim is without any problems. Based on interactions with local journalists and residents of the state, there are several concerns including waste management, strain on water and other natural resources especially in more densely populated cities like Gangtok and Pelling, as well as the ‘laidback’ attitude of local people that has encouraged influx of ‘outsiders’ looking for opportunities to benefit from the tourism boom. To tackle these concerns, the government is looking into policies to provide both economic and practical support and conducting awareness-raising activities, they said.
Magnificent landscapes, pristine forests, rich biodiversity, and natural heritage sites are often main reasons why tourists visit a destination, and these conditions are favourable in Nagaland. But in terms of infrastructure, considering that the state still struggles to keep up with the inflow of tourists during the month long tourist season, perhaps a serious analysis on the ‘Sikkim model’ – what has worked and what has not— would augur well for the sustainable growth of the industry in Nagaland state.
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