Governor Confers State Tourism Awards on World Tourism Day in Itanagar
Lt Gen KT Parnaik honoured tourism stakeholders and called for stronger community participation, technology-driven planning and sustainable tourism across Arunachal Pradesh.
ITANAGAR- Governor Lt Gen KT Parnaik, (Retd.) conferred the annual State Tourism Awards during the World Tourism Day celebration in Itanagar on Sunday, recognising tourism enterprises and officials for their contributions to the sector.
The Governor also launched the Tourism Department’s online Service Portal, developed under the Ease of Doing Business initiative, and released the book Homestay Tourism in Arunachal Pradesh, authored by Dr Tashi Lungtan Kee and Dr Sankar Thappa.
Tourism Awards
Tikhak Homestay, Changlang, owned by Bela Tikhak of Miaopum Tours and Travels, received the Best Homestay Award. Suchusi Homestay, Ziro, and Bomdila Embassy, West Kameng, received commendation awards.
In the tour operator category, Tsering Wange, proprietor of M/s Himalayan Holidays, West Kameng, received the Best Tour Operator Award. BAC Voyages, Itanagar, and Gandhi Darang, proprietor of M/s Ane Siang Tours & Expeditions, received commendation awards.
Lamwang Aran, Tourism Information Officer, Dibang Valley district and a 2017-batch officer, received the Best Performing Tourism Officer Award.
Governor stresses community participation
Addressing the gathering, the Governor said tourism extends beyond economic activity, contributing to livelihoods, local empowerment, preservation of cultural heritage and national integration.
He identified Arunachal Pradesh’s natural environment, biodiversity, tribal heritage, festivals, spiritual traditions and landscapes as key strengths and outlined a broad tourism mix encompassing eco-tourism, cultural tourism, adventure tourism, spiritual tourism, rural and homestay tourism, agro-tourism, wildlife tourism, wellness tourism, border tourism and festival tourism.
The Governor called for a tourism strategy that extends beyond established destinations and involves districts, valleys and local communities as stakeholders. He also advocated integrated tourism circuits combining ecological, cultural, adventure and heritage experiences to encourage longer visitor stays and distribute tourism benefits more widely.
He emphasised the role of homestays in suitable tourism villages, where visitors could experience local cuisine, agriculture, crafts, folklore and traditional lifestyles. He also suggested greater involvement of universities and colleges in tourism research, documentation of oral traditions, biodiversity studies and visitor-behaviour analysis.
Push for Tourism GIS and AI
Technology formed a major part of the Governor’s tourism vision. He advocated developing a comprehensive Tourism GIS platform and using Artificial Intelligence for visitor forecasting, multilingual assistance, personalised itineraries, feedback analysis and destination management.
He said these measures could support the development of Arunachal Pradesh as a smart and sustainable mountain tourism destination. He also stressed scientific visitor management through carrying-capacity studies, advance booking systems, seasonal distribution of tourist flows and promotion of lesser-known destinations.
The Governor said local people should remain central to the tourism sector, with opportunities for youth to work as trained guides and entrepreneurs and for women to lead homestays, food enterprises and craft-based tourism initiatives.
He also called for an annual festival calendar, authentic cultural presentations and a distinctive “Arunachal Model of Tourism” based on community participation and personalised visitor experiences.
Focus on infrastructure and services
The Governor further called for improvements in hospitality, transportation, information systems, professional tour operations and skilled manpower. He urged stakeholders to work collectively towards quality, efficiency and sustainable growth in the tourism sector.
Secretary Tourism Pagli Sora and Director Tourism Rujum Raksap highlighted the state’s tourism initiatives and achievements during the programme.
Competitions and cultural programmes
The World Tourism Day celebration also featured several competitions. Tokmem Pertin and August Ligang jointly received first prize in the Wall Painting Competition, while Nending Napa won the AI Videography competition.
Beyealu Kri received first prize in Local Cuisine Presentation, while Tage Yani won the Local Wine Competition. Likha Miyu of M/s LM Enterprise received the Best Exhibitor Award.
The Tourism Department, which serves as the nodal department for the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) initiative in Arunachal Pradesh, also introduced participants of the EBSB programme and the Dekho Apna Pradesh tour.
Participants from Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Meghalaya, which are paired under the EBSB initiative, presented a joint cultural programme highlighting India’s cultural diversity and unity.
Adding a social message to the event, Roots Arunachal, an Itanagar-based theatre and cultural organisation, presented a skit on Nasha Mukt Bharat, focusing on the importance of a drug-free society and responsible choices among young people.
The celebration was attended by Itanagar Municipal Corporation Mayor Likha Nari Tadar, Tourism Department officials, IMC corporators, tour operators, homestay owners, tourism stakeholders, students of Rajiv Gandhi University and Rajiv Gandhi Government Polytechnic, and members of Yuva Tourism Clubs.
