‘Outlook of Tourism has completely changed in Nagaland’

Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | January 4

The year 2023 proved to be an extraordinary year for the tourism industry, especially for Zhavame village under Phek district, bordering Manipur state, even as it gained incredible momentum and drew an estimate of close to 10,000 visitors both to the village and its majestic Kapamodzü peak.

In the recent past, Kapamodzü has emerged as the most sought after destinations in Nagaland and in 2023, October emerged as the busiest month with a total of 2400 visitors.

Rekha Rose Dukru, who took on the management of the highest tabletop mountain in the state a year ago and initiated a number of eco-friendly facilities, observed that during the COVID years, families have learnt not only the  value spending time together but also the realise the importance visiting places together.

“The outlook of tourism has completely changed,” she remarked, while elucidating that in the current scenario, people are enthused to travel and explore a place through the different seasons of a year. 

“Sometimes you need people visiting to remind us how blessed we are”, she said.

Highlighting that although there were visitors from all over, maximum number of visitors to Kapamodzü in 2023 were Nagas from across the state, she related that most of them shared the same sentiment that “we need not travel far to see mesmerising places.”

Most parents, she echoed, have also decided to explore as many places possible in Nagaland before venturing out further.
Reiterating that there were domestic and international travellers but the maximum were locals, she added, “If Nagas love it so much, then there is so much potential for international tourism.” 

“All we have to do is provide the facilities, and it will grow and soar.” 

“Of all the businesses I have done, tourism industry is one that has immediately been self-sustaining,” she further attested, informing that she started with just an employee and in the course of one year, the workforce has grown to five individuals working full-time.

Kapamodz­ü, which now boast of facilities such as cottages, café, camping facility, catering, electricity, washrooms, etc, however hasn’t been without challenges. 

In the words of Dukru, “people may think it’s easier when you are constructing cottages, for instance, with locally available materials, but it is not that simple as these materials are also season-based whether it is harvesting thatch or bamboo.”

Interestingly, however, every cottage, every washroom has a different design at Kapamodzü. 

“I don’t have a design planned prior but depending on the landscape, or it could be a tree that gives us the concept of how a bathroom will look like,” she highlighted.

One of the consistent remarks from local visitors has been, "We have witnessed the worst in Nagaland and never anticipated encountering a cottage, electricity, or other facilities at the summit of a mountain."

She also stressed that Kapamodzü's popularity is inseparable from the village and to enhance the visitors' experience at the peak; they are also looking at packages encompassing not only Kapamodzü but also Zhavame village and nearby areas.

Kapamodzü to introduce Paragliding 
Kapamodzü, which comes across as an ideal place for paragliding experience may soon add the adventure sport to its list of attractions. 

“We want to introduce paragliding this year,” Dukru  said, informing that the first team (one of the teams associated with Paragliding in Bir-Billing in Himachal Pradesh—also known as Paragliding Capital of India) had already come during December and done the recce.

“They were very impressed and are now collecting data on the strength of the wind, direction, etc and if all goes well, we will be introducing it this year,” she said.

Given the viability and the green signal given by the experts from Himachal Pradesh, she is very hopeful that it will take off very soon.

Besides Paragliding, Mountain biking is also in the pipeline, she conveyed.

‘Further international realisation of Nagaland’
Overall, the beauty of Nagaland has clearly caught the attention of the global community even as it figured in the number four among “The 16 hottest destinations for 2024” in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Among the most intriguing is Nagaland in the northeast of the country, bordering Myanmar, where more than 16 tribal groups have preserved their distinctive customs and costumes,” it read.

In a ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) thread, Advisor to Chief Minister and Chairman IDAN Abu Metha had also highlighted some of the many silver linings of Nagaland in 2023.

In the area of tourism, he highlighted that the Hornbill Festival of 2023 was  “one of the best ever in the 24-year history.” 

“For the first time ever and perhaps a first of its kind in the country, the festival had country partners and state partner in the form of the United States, Germany, Columbia and Assam. 5 countries, 40 bands and 800 musicians performed at the music fest,” he added, articulating it as “further international realisation of Nagaland.”

Commenting on the Hornbill Festival, Vibha Lakhera, founder of Project Empathy, meanwhile stated, “I would say that as someone who does not belong to Nagaland, being there, interacting and bonding with people, literally has a healing effect” especially traveling from a power centric, high pressure city like Delhi.”

“What I noticed most definitely was that while one is walking on the streets or driving past, it is very easy to smile at people and even easier to receive a warm friendly smile, be it a kid or a young person or even an elderly person,” she added. 

“That itself,” she said, “makes one think of the inner worlds that inhabit in people in Kohima. What is it that makes them so friendly and accepting? As compared to the capital city, where mostly everyone is in a hurried, stressful, many times arrogantly judgemental space.”

“If I have to rally for Nagaland, apart from the scenic beauty it would be the softness offered by people largely, I would talk about,” she said.