Nagaland chief minister, T.R. Zeliang highlighted the objective of ‘World Tourism Day’ (WTD) and its focus on transformative potential of one billion tourists for creating employment opportunities and on impact the economy of the country.
Stressing on a peaceful environment for tourism, he cited the case of Sikkim, where its tourism industry was growing by leaps and bounds but in the picturesque Kashmir, tourist trade has been adversely affected.
Likewise, he said Nagaland’s efforts to promote eco and cultural tourism would not find many takers, if the Naga political problem continued as the state was being projected as “insurgency-ridden”. In the global context, Zeliang said that more than a billion tourists travel to pre-determined destinations each year and contributing to 10% of the global GDP and 6% of the world’s total exports.
He said tourists were broadly of two types- those loaded with resources and those with limited resources.
Since Nagas were known for their traditional hospitality, “we should be able to make tourists feel at home without any difficulty”, he said.
He encouraged private parties to invest in the hospitality sector to enable individual families to participate in the endeavor by starting paying guest facilities for tourists.
Zeliang said tourists were not only important as source of revenue but also as ambassadors to tell the world about their experience with Naga society. Zeliang also urged upon villagers to participate as a community to promote tourism and its related activities and to preserve the flora and fauna.
He also called on the people to make their own goals in the context of this year’s ‘World Tourism Day’ so as to promote tourism inflow all year through and not only during Hornbill Festival.
Apok: Parliamentary secretary Tourism C. Apok Jamir said Nagaland was associated with uniqueness- politically, socially and culturally in which tourism needed to be harnessed for progress and development of the state.
He said a small state like Nagaland has no reputed industry nor revenue generating avenues to sustain development and also reached a saturation point for employment. In this regard, Apok opined that the only means to generate employment, economic development and livelihood was to make use of natural resources available to create a peaceful atmosphere.
Earlier, message of secretary general, United World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai was read out by secretary, tourism and art & culture, Angau I Thou.
DC Peren, Peter Lichamo, NCS chaired the programme while vote of thanks proposed by director, Tourism Purakhu Angami.
Ministers– Y Patton, Tokheho Yepthomi and Kipili Sangtam; Parliamentary Secretaries– Tohanba, Jacob Zhimomi, Eshak Konyak, Dr Longri and Namri MLA besides a host of official dignitaries attended the programme.