Pema Khandu advocates sustainable roadmap to boost tourism

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu Wednesday called for a roadmap to boost sustainable tourism in the state without affecting the environment.

Tourism is the next engine of growth in the north eastern state after hydropower and meticulous planning should be made to harness its potential, Khandu said addressing an event here organised on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

Stating that there is no better investment in the state than investing in the tourism, he said the state has been managing its tourism industry in a disciplined manner without affecting the environment.

He called for emulating the ‘Bhutan model’ for development of tourism in Arunachal Pradesh. “Those who have not visited Bhutan should visit that country to study its tourism model and implement it in the state for sustainable development,” Khandu said.

Community involvement is a must to boost the tourism sector and at the same time preserve the state’s rich biodiversity through concerted efforts as the government cannot do so alone, he said.

Khandu, who was the state tourism minister from 2011 to 2014, said that the diversity in Arunachal with its 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes is unique in the country which makes it an ideal place for adventure, religious, cultural and rural tourism.

Stressing on rural tourism in areas of the state which share border with China, Myanmar and Bhutan, he said that the Centre had launched the 'Vibrant Village' programme in 2022 to boost tourism in border areas through community participation. Home stays should be encouraged more with handholding by the government.

“The government’s priority is to boost tourism in border areas and it is our responsibility to make the first village vibrant by providing all requirements,” he said.

Stating that the state is a late starter in tourism due to its challenging topography and communication bottlenecks, he claimed it made significant achievement in the sector in the past nine years after the BJP-led NDA government came to power at the Centre and connectivity received a major boost in Arunachal.

“The footfall of domestic and foreign tourists has increased by 36 per cent this year in comparison to the previous one,” he said.

The state government, he said, has launched various schemes to boost the tourism industry and two new tourist circuits in Tirap and Longding districts were launched to boost tourism in the eastern part of the state.

It introduced the ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic so that the people of the state could visit every part of the state and appealed to the people to change their mindset towards tourists It also advised departmental officers to create awareness among the people on the importance of tourism.

State Tourism Minister Nakap Nalo said that Shergaon in West Kameng district of the state has bagged the rural tourism award in the country this year and several new destinations have been promoted.