Morung Express News
Kohima | April 6
Poor air connectivity to the north east region and the vagaries of existing inadequate infrastructure could hamper the efforts of the Government of Nagaland to woo both international and domestic tourists, leave alone business interests. This expression is of many an outside visitor as well as participants who attended the North East Agri-Expo 2006 which concluded recently at Dimapur.
According to Kamlesh and Jiten, who came all the way from Mumbai to see Nagaland, the poor air connectivity to the NE states, Nagaland in particular, would be a damaging factor in negating the initiatives of the governments to impact and marshal greater business and tourism outreach into the respective areas.
Citing a small instance the two Mumbaikars said that they were stranded at Kolkata for a night due to cancellation of Indian Airline flights, and was about to be held up there further. But thanks to lure of the Agri Expo 2006, they could reach Dimapur on April 1 evening by a special flight arranged for the participants of the Agri Expo. However they arrived only to find that everything at the venue had been packed up and off.
Apart from constraints of mobility and management, expenses that have to be incurred are also a telling impediment to facilitate pecuniary convenience. Kamlesh, although enthralled by the misty peaks and cool weather of the state capital, expressed concern that air fares from Mumbai to Dimapur is higher than fares to any other Indian cities as well as to some foreign cities. Kamlesh, who will be leaving for Germany this month end, giving account of the expenses, informed that the return ticket from Mumbai to Frankfurt via London is Rs 18,000 only, but the return ticket from Mumbai to Dimapur, comes up to about Rs 21,000. He was of the view that the hospitability as well as the casual and humble ways of the Nagas would attract lot of visitors but made it plain that if the advantage has to be harnessed to the maximum air connectivity to the region has to improve.
It is pertinent to mention that a single fare from Mumbai to Kolkata is Rs 4500, while from Kolkata to Dimapur the fare comes to Rs 6,500, which when compared to fares charged for travel to other cities is much higher. It is also likewise or higher even in comparison to travel fares to some foreign countries like Bangkok and Singapore. However in their case, with a special package, one can travel to the cities like Bangkok and Singapore and stay for 3-4 nights and days with the same amount. Not only Kamlesh and Jiten voiced complaints about irregularities of flights to North East India, many tourists who comes to the Kohima feel that air services in this region is too limited, above all frequented by cancellations and other likened irregularities. According to Jiten, claiming to have visited many cities around the world, and a frequenter of Manila and Shimla, felt that Kohima is a better place and an ideal tourist destination. He also, however, voiced the same concern that air connectivity has to be improved if Nagaland is to attract visitors, leave alone investors. He also said that many families from Mumbai want to see Kohima and other parts of the state, but the poor air connectivity and limited services apart from infrastructural constraints discouraged them.
