Tezpur University Deliberates on Potential of Community-based Tourism

A Correspondent

Tezpur: On the occasion of World Tourism Day, which is observed on September 27 every year, the Department of Business Administration, Tezpur University celebrated the day with a daylong workshop discussing the scope of Community Based Tourism.

Delivering the welcome address, HOD Business Administration Prof Chandan Goswami explained the nuances of Community Based Tourism. He said that Community Based Tourism generally happens in rural areas; hence, it has tremendous opportunities as well as challenges. “The workshop intends to explore and discuss the issues and opportunities Community Based Tourism can offer”, Prof. Goswami said.

Speaking on the occasion, Dean, School of Management Sciences Prof. Papori Baruah highlighted that Tourism industry generates 10% world jobs and yet tourism’s role in job creation is often undervalued. Prof. Baruah cited examples of Bhutan and Maldives, which has succeeded in what can be called Community Based Tourism model. Speaking on the occasion, vice chancellor of the University Prof. Vinod Kumar Jain mentioned some facts about Indian Tourism industry. He said that foreign tourist arrivals during 2018 were 10.56 million and contribution of travel and tourism sector to India’s GDP was close to $250 billion. However, Prof. Jain cautioned that while the data is promising, one should be wary about mass tourism, which sometimes adversely affects the ecosystem.

The workshop also had detailed technical session on the subject, where resource persons from the expert domain shared their experiences and modalities of running a community-based tourism. President, Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society, Baksa Kalicharan Basumatary, Chairman, Ecotourism Management Committee, Khonoma, Nagaland Neikedolie Hiekha, secretary general Guu’min Rvgoo Kw’laaju, Basar, Arunachal Pradesh Kargo Bam, Senior Project Officer, WWF WAL-Landscape Bapu Pema Wange, Thembang Bapu, Community Conserved Area Management Committee Thembang, Arunachal Pradesh and Dy. Chairman, Garung-Thuk, Shergaon, Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu Thungon, were present at the workshop as resource persons. An E-magazine named “Uttaran” was also released during the inaugural session.

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