The issue of harnessing Arunachal’s untapped tourism sector has garnered attention and momentum with every passing year. State government definitely has the right intent but somehow unsure of how to reach the goal. From the recent ‘Song and Dance festival 2016’ being hosted by Arunachal at Mumbai and the subsequent roping in of actor John Abraham as ambassador, the state seems to be turning to Bollywood as its saviour.

Moot point is who are our target audience- domestic or international tourists?

Therefore, citizens are taken aback pleasantly, they are also sceptical as how much this liaison will actually help Arunachal Pradesh Tourism which has been domestic driven all these years. This is not to take away from the fit and out-doorsy actor, who is known for his love for adventure sports, football and sports bikes. If one looks at the rustic nature of tourism on offer here, John is the perfect fit.

Over the years, Arunachal has played host to many celebrity guests during festivals. Vivek Oberoi, Arjun Rampal to name a few did nothing but pose for ‘photo-ops’ and leave a teensy tweet to acquaint their followers of their whereabouts. Apart from the few noises here and there— the actors descending on Arunachal territory did little to increase footfalls.

While there is nothing wrong in using superstars to attract tourists but no commitment comes without fat sums of money exchanging hands. Money which otherwise could be put to good use to strengthen the foundations of tourism industry.

Priyanka Chopra has been roped in to popularise Assam as a tourist destination and reportedly the actor is charging a whopping 15 crore for the ‘Awesome Assam’ campaign. This wasn't well received by the natives and the ministry was slammed for paying such a hefty sum to a celebrity after claiming that it cannot satisfy the state's budgetary demands as the state was facing a financial crisis. Two months ago, the state Governor claimed that it can barely meet the basic commitments of the state like salaries and pension in the trying times of floods.

Arunachal must learn from Kerala-God’s own country— one of India’s popular destination with the domestic as well as international tourists which has never used an iconic figure in its campaigns to attract tourists. Our focus must be in creating basic infrastructure and banking on smart campaigns.

Why do we need one magnanimous person as a representative to promote tourism, who by the way know nothing about the state or its culture and bill the state handsomely?

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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