ITANAGAR, SEP 27:
Governor Lt Gen KT Parnaik (Retd) participated in the World Tourism Day celebration here on Sunday and conferred the annual State Tourism Awards, recognising contributions to homestay tourism, tour operations and tourism administration.
Tikhak Homestay, Changlang, owned by Bela Tikhak of Miaopum Tours and Travels, received the Best Homestay Award, while Suchusi Homestay, Ziro and Bomdila Embassy, West Kameng, received commendation awards. Tsering Wange, proprietor of M/s Himalayan Holidays, West Kameng, received the Best Tour Operator Award, while BAC Voyages, Itanagar and Gandhi
Darang, proprietor of M/s Ane Siang Tours & Expeditions, received commendation awards. Tourism Information Officer Dibang Valley Lamwang Aran, a 2017-batch officer, was conferred the Best Performing Tourism Officer Award.
The Governor also launched the Tourism Department’s online service portal developed under the Ease of Doing Business initiative and released the book Homestay Tourism in Arunachal Pradesh, authored by Tashi Lungtan Kee and Sankar Thappa.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor said tourism reflects the personality of a State and is far more than an economic activity. It creates livelihoods, empowers local communities, preserves cultural heritage and strengthens national integration.
Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh’s unique tourism strengths, Parnaik said the State possesses all the ingredients to become a leading destination for responsible and experiential tourism. Its pristine natural environment, rich biodiversity, living tribal heritage, vibrant festivals, spiritual traditions and breathtaking landscapes provide a strong foundation for tourism.
He called for promotion of a diverse range of tourism, including eco-tourism, cultural, adventure, spiritual, rural and homestay, agro, wildlife, wellness, border and festival tourism. The State’s unique advantage, he said, lies in offering these experiences within a single destination.
The Governor stressed that the tourism vision should extend beyond a few popular destinations and encompass every district, valley and community as stakeholders in the tourism economy. He advocated integrated tourism circuits combining eco, cultural, adventure and heritage experiences to encourage longer stays and ensure wider distribution of tourism benefits.
Emphasising community participation, he said every suitable tourism village should have quality homestays where visitors can experience local cuisine, agriculture, crafts, folklore and traditional lifestyles. Universities and colleges, he added, could contribute through research, documentation of oral traditions, biodiversity studies and visitor-behaviour analysis.
Calling technology a key enabler, Parnaik advocated a comprehensive Tourism Geographic Information System (GIS) platform and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for visitor forecasting, multilingual assistance, personalised itineraries, feedback analysis and destination management. These measures, he said, could help make Arunachal Pradesh a smart and sustainable mountain tourism destination.
He also stressed the need for scientific visitor management through carrying-capacity studies, advance booking systems, seasonal distribution of visitors and promotion of lesser-known destinations.
“The heart of Arunachal tourism is its people and their partaking,” the Governor said, adding that youth could become trained guides and entrepreneurs, while women could lead homestays, food enterprises and craft-based tourism initiatives. He called for an annual festival calendar, authentic cultural presentations and a distinctive “Arunachal Model of Tourism” based on community participation and personalised visitor experiences.
The Governor further called for strengthening tourism infrastructure and services, including quality hospitality at destinations and along travel routes, affordable transportation, reliable information systems, professional tour operators and skilled manpower. He urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure quality, efficiency and sustainable growth of tourism in the State.
Tourism Secretary Pagli Sora and Tourism Director Rujum Raksap highlighted the State’s achievements and initiatives.
As part of the celebration, the Tourism Department organised competitions and presented awards in various categories. Tokmem Pertin and August Ligang jointly received the first prize in the Wall Painting Competition, while Nending Napa won the AI Videography Competition. Beyealu Kri secured the first prize in Local Cuisine Presentation and Tage Yani won the Local Wine Competition. Likha Miyu of M/s LM Enterprise received the Best Exhibitor Award.
The Tourism Department, the nodal department for the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) initiative in Arunachal Pradesh, also introduced participants of the EBSB programme and the Dekho Apna Pradesh tour. Participants from Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya, the States paired under the initiative, presented a joint cultural programme highlighting India’s cultural diversity and unity.
Roots Arunachal, an Itanagar-based theatre and cultural organisation, presented a skit on Nasha Mukt Bharat, highlighting the importance of a drug-free society and encouraging youth to make healthy and responsible choices.
Itanagar Municipal Corporation Mayor Likha Nari Tadar, Tourism Department officers, IMC corporators, tour operators, homestay owners, tourism stakeholders, students of Rajiv Gandhi University and Rajiv Gandhi Government Polytechnic, and members of Yuva Tourism Clubs attended the celebration.
