Tourism can be the real growth engine for Arunachal-it’s a statement that is often reiterated by the policy making fraternity of the State, Centre as well as various development-related international agencies. There can be no doubt that this can really happen if appropriate time-bound plans of action are pursued. There is also a growing realization that, just as the normal tourism potentials of the state remain untapped to a great extent, the same is the case when it comes to specialised areas, of which adventure tourism is a growing choice among those who think beyond the routine. And cashing in on this changing perception, various forms of adventure tourism have flourished and are thriving due to the positive commercial impacts they entail. The just concluded Basic Cum Refresher Course on Paragliding at Lumdung in East Kameng district has drawn renewed attention on this branch of adventure tourism and going by the positivity spelt out by the stakeholders, it can be said that if patronage arrives in adequate quantities, the district has every chance to find a prominent place in the paragliding map of India.

There are various reasons why this aviation sport has gained popularity. Nothing extraordinary physical capabilities like that of athletes are necessary and learning also is not that much of an uphill task. All these adds to the reasons for paragliding’s acceptability and for those who dreamt of conquering the skies by becoming pilot at some point of time in their lives, but couldn’t make it, it’s always a logical alternative. Looking at the paragliding map of the country, it can be said that the existing sites, popular or less-popular, are all scattered in states namely Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and others and the choice of visit remains restricted to there alone. But despite having all the ingredients for flourish of the sport and even more than the above counterparts, East Kameng is still not a thinkable proposition for the adventure buffs. This is a fact that must act as a driving force to enter the competitive market of attracting tourists. Simultaneous sets of action must be taken, which should necessarily involve building infrastructure as well as sharpening the publicity part through all forms of media with stress on pan-India outreach. Once the process takes off, employment generation for the local people will get a boost since a series of ancillary economic activities will be triggered. Success of the first edition of Arunachal Paragliding Festival in November 2018 has already shown that paragliding can add substantially to the state’s overall tourism potential quotient.

This is the right time to give a little more thrust and besides government(s), corporates must also play proactive roles.