Participants and tourists during the 24th edition of the Hornbill Festival 2023 at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama on December 8, 2023. (Morung File Photo: For Representational Purposes Only)
Morung Express News
Kohima | February 27
The premier Hornbill Festival 2023 generated direct monetary revenue of just 3.1% of the total fund allocation, even as the Nagaland Tourism Minister insisted that it should not be treated as a yardstick for the festival the indirect returns were over “twenty-fold times” of the investment.
Out of Rs 5.50 crore allocated to the Tourism Department by the State Government for the festival in 2023, a sum of Rs. 17,11,980 (17.11 lakh) or around 3.1% of the total allocated money was added to the State exchequer from various heads, Nagaland Tourism & Higher Education Minister, Temjen Imna Along informed the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Tuesday.
However, the Hornbill Festival presently being ‘most sought after festival,’ the direct government revenue generation from the festival may not be treated as a priority, he asserted in response to starred question by MLA Achumbemo Kikon on the second day of the 4th Session of the 14h NLA on February 27.
“This can be considered as a beneficial trait as the actual investment of the government generates more than twenty-fold times in return for the economic partners of the festival which are infused into the local economy,” he added.
The Minister further the House to make sure that pilferages do not happen in terms of collecting revenue from this year edition and the department would try its best to digitalise most of the revenues that comes and ensure sponsorships are transparent so that the State Exchequer gets better funds in the days to come.
Meanwhile, Kikon argued that the amount generated is very meagre and suggested that on a mechanism and improvement in the revenue sector relating to the Hornbill Festival 2023. He also urged the minister to consider border and rural tourism as well from this year.
