TravTalk India Online Magazine
At the first Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Conclave 2017, Dr. Joram Beda, Tourism Secretary, informed that tourism in the state has doubled in the past five years and wants the momentum to pick up through adventure and ecotourism.
AHANA GURUNG
The largest North Eastern state, Arunachal Pradesh is leaving no stone unturned to attract more tourists to the region. In a first, the state’s tourism department organised a tourism conclave in the capital to raise awareness about the myriad offerings as well as investment opportunities.
The conclave was graced by Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home, Govt. of India, along with other dignitaries like Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet, and Capt. Swadesh Kumar, President, Adventure Tour Operators’ Association of India (ATOAI), among others. Arunachal Pradesh is by and large, gearing up to establish itself as an adventure tourism hub and aims to achieve this by fortifying relationships with various partners and through theme-based festivals. Dr. Joram Beda, Tourism Secretary, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, gives more details on the approach and says, “We have been organising the Kameng river festival in Mechuka, which promotes adventure in the state including others like Tawang festival, Ziro festival of music, Arunachal Spring Carnival, etc.
It is the perfect place for water sports, thanks to the presence of the five rivers that flow through Arunachal, and the three peaks that are yet to be conquered. In addition, it is home to as many as 25 different tribes, setting the right tone for ecotourism.”
He added that while tourism in the state is at a nascent stage, the possibilities are immense provided the products are well-promoted in key cities. Arunachal received a total of 3.5 lakh tourists in 2016 and expects a steady 20 per cent growth in the next three years. Commenting on the issue of connectivity, Beda informed that three greenfield airports in Ziro, Pasighat and Mechuka which are currently under defence services, have been proposed to be opened up for civil services as well. In addition, the central government has recently granted site clearance approval for setting up of five greenfield airports in the country, including one in Itanagar.
The state’s tourism department has also signed MoUs between four key partners to work together to promote and generate a strong tourist traffic to the state. The partners include OxigenWallet – the official e-wallet partner for the department of tourism, MakeMyTrip – the official partner in the online travel portal category, Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) as the official partner, and Fly Wings – the partner for hospitality training.
“It is the perfect place for water sports, thanks to the presence of the five rivers that flow through Arunachal”
– Dr. Joram Beda, Tourism Secretary, Government of Arunachal Pradesh
