Dimapur, May 31 (MExN): Nagaland Minister for Tourism and Higher Education, Temjen Imna Along, will be conferred the "Global Blue Tourism Innovation Award" at the Blue Economy Summit 2026 scheduled to be held in New Delhi on June 5 and 6.
According to a press release issued by Dr. Roopam Bachhil, Co-convener of The Blue Economy Summit 2026, the award has been instituted by the Awards and Appreciation Committee of the summit and will be presented during the event.
The summit is being organised jointly by the International University, Nagaland; Confederation of Indian Universities; GPF-India; Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment; World Institute of Blue Economy; and the International Association of Educators for World Peace.
Dr. Bachhil stated that the award recognises Along's contributions to tourism development and his efforts to promote sustainable tourism models in Nagaland. She said the committee viewed the recognition as significant because it highlights the role of inland and river-based tourism within the broader framework of the blue economy.
Quoting the observations of Awards and Appreciation Committee Chairman Dr. Markandey Rai, former United Nations Senior Advisor at UN-HABITAT, Bachhil said the committee acknowledged the minister's efforts to explore eco-friendly tourism initiatives linked to Nagaland's river systems, including the Doyang, Dhansiri and Dikhu rivers.
The committee noted that such initiatives have focused on water-based tourism activities, riverbank conservation and community-led conservation efforts, while promoting sustainable economic opportunities.
According to the release, the committee also appreciated what it described as a model of "high-value, low-impact" tourism that seeks to balance economic growth with environmental conservation.
It further observed that the minister's approach has emphasised community participation through homestays, conservation reserves and watershed management, while avoiding large-scale commercialisation of ecologically sensitive areas.
The committee stated that the model offers an example of how rural livelihoods and biodiversity conservation can be pursued simultaneously and could serve as a reference for discussions at the summit.
The release added that the award also carries significance in the context of national development and regional integration. The committee noted that recognising Nagaland's tourism leadership at a blue economy summit reinforces the inclusion of landlocked regions within India's broader blue growth and "Act East" vision.
According to the committee, the recognition symbolises the link between the ecological and cultural resources of the Northeast and the country's wider blue economy agenda.
