Limalenden Longkumer
Morung Express News
Kohima | April 6
Limalenden Longkumer has won the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards 2022 (IRTA) under the category “Grassroots Heroes.” The awards this year “celebrate individuals and organisations who are leading the restart of tourism by re-imagining their business, infusing technology and innovation as best practices and weaving it all together under the umbrella of sustainability.”
Now in its sixth year, the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards stated in its website that “it is proud to be the flag bearer of travel that is gentle on the earth and invested in the growth and happiness of the local communities across India. And we believe our role — of celebrating and supporting pathbreakers and leaders surmounting all odds — remains as important as ever.”
Limalenden Longkumer has been actively involved in the promotion of ‘responsible tourism’ since 2002 at a time when the whole concept of tourism was still relatively new. He strongly advocates that all tourism activities should be carried out in a sustainable manner and is also known for his conservation initiatives for forests and river systems.
On winning the Award, he says, “I wasn’t really expecting to win but it is a privilege and an honour for me.” But most of all, he says, “it is a motivation not only for me but the whole team to keep doing what we are doing.” He is currently the convenor of the ‘Community Tourism Activity’ in Mopungchuket, his native village where he was born and brought up.
Towards this end, he also states that everything that he does is community-based. “We encourage community participation because the benefit should go to the community,” he expresses while reiterating that “our principle is that the community should benefit and we make collective decisions.”
Even the award, he puts across is good for the community as a whole. “A lot of people are working hard and when there is some recognition (not that we want), it motivates you to do better,” he says.
A journalist by profession, Limalenden Longkumer is also the editor of the newly launched English daily, Mokokchung Times.
