Is urban life sucking the life out of you? Rural tourism could just be what people are looking for. And given that a majority of Nagas live in their villages, it is all the more important to tap this segment of promoting rural tourism. Against this backdrop, the setting up of several tourist villages across the State will hopefully go a long way in drawing the attention of the world to the enchanting beauty that lies in Naga villages. Going in for rural tourism also makes perfect sense as it draws on the comparative advantage of Naga villages—the natural landscape, cultural packages and not to forget Naga hospitality and its famous cuisine. What the government has been doing to promote eco-cultural tourism to the outside world must continue to receive due attention. Along with this, continuing emphasis has to be given to improving infrastructure that will be able to support such tourism initiatives.
Improving road network within districts, villages and air connectivity to the State has to be given high priority. The State government needs to build up a world class road infrastructure in order to help the overall economic growth of the State. The Centre on its part must make amends and there is a valid case for improving air connectivity to Nagaland besides relaxation in permits to facilitate larger groups of visitors into the State. In a bid to transform the N-E into a gateway of India, the Centre must focus on improving infrastructure particularly airports and other access points. At present, there is only one international airport at Guwahati restricting movement to the other States.
For tourism to really succeed in Nagaland, both the government at the Centre and in the State should take some policy initiatives. For one, the relevance of RAP/PAP restrictions in the current context needs to be reviewed by the Centre and at least certain areas of tourist interest should either be exempt or relaxed. It will also be in the fitness of things if the Union Tourism ministry can persuade the ministry of home affairs to relax permit regulations. The state government on its part should review the ILP regime so that genuine tourists are not hassled while visiting Nagaland.
By promoting rural tourism it will help achieve income, employment and economic stability in rural communities in Nagaland. Apart from this, it will help in marketing the State to increase national and international tourist traffic. The basic concept of rural tourism is to bring benefit to the local community through entrepreneurial opportunities, income generation, employment opportunities, conservation and development of rural arts and crafts, investment for infrastructure development and preservation of the environment and heritage.
With an estimated US$ 3 trillion in annual revenues, tourism has emerged as one of the world’s largest industries, contributing significantly to economies. However, tourism can also be both an opportunity for conservation and a threat to biodiversity. Therefore any plan to promote tourism must also be carefully planned and implemented so that it is both economically and environmentally sustainable in the long run.
