Arunachal CM Pema Khandu advocates for sustainable roadmap to boost tourism

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday called for drawing a roadmap to boost sustainable tourism in the state without hampering the environment. Tourism is the next engine of growth in the state after hydropower, for which meticulous planning should be made to harness the potentials, Khandu said while addressing an event here, organised on the occasion of World Tourism Day with the theme ‘Tourism and Green Investments’. The chief minister called upon the departmental officials to emulate the ‘Bhutan model’ for the development of tourism in Arunachal Pradesh, stating that the Himalayan Kingdom has been managing the tourism industry in a disciplined manner without hampering the environment. “Those who have not visited Bhutan should visit the country to study its tourism model and implement it in the state for sustainable development,” Khandu said, adding that community involvement is a must to boost the tourism sector and, at the same time, preserve the state’s rich biodiversity through concerted efforts.

The chief minister, who was the state tourism minister from 2011 to 2014, said that Arunachal’s diversity, with 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes, is unique in the country and an ideal place for adventure, religious, cultural, and rural tourism. While thanking all stakeholders for the flourishing tourism industry in the state in recent years, Khandu said that all should join hands to further improve the sector, which the government alone cannot do. Stressing rural tourism in border areas of the state, which share borders with China, Myanmar, and Bhutan, the chief minister said that the Centre had launched the vibrant village programme last year to boost tourism in border areas through community participation. “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, adding that homestays should be encouraged more with handholding by the government.

Khandu said that though the state is a late starter in the tourism sector due to challenging topography and communication bottlenecks, it achieved a significant milestone in the past nine years after the BJP-led NDA government came to power at the Centre, after which connectivity received a major boost in Arunachal. “The footfall of domestic and foreign tourists increased by 36 per cent this year in comparison to the previous one,” he said. Informing that the state government has launched various schemes to boost the tourism industry, Khandu said that two new tourist circuits in Tirap and Longding districts were opened last to boost tourism in the eastern part of the state. The chief minister appealed to the people to change their mindset towards tourists and advised the departmental officials to create awareness among the people about the importance of tourism. He said the state government had 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 know the uniqueness of every tribe.

Stating that there is no better investment other than the tourism industry, he urged the political leaders to invest in the sector instead of investing in politics. Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister Nakap Nalo informed that Shergaon in the West Kameng district of the state has bagged the rural tourism award in the country this year. Claiming that the state government had successfully branded Arunachal through meticulous planning, the minister informed that several new tourism destinations have been established and several schemes launched to help the stakeholders in the industry. Tour operators, homestay owners, and other eminent personalities were also felicitated on the occasion for their contributions to the growth of the tourism industry in the state.

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