ITANAGAR, Jan 25: National Tourism Day was observed across the state today with the theme Rural & Community Centric Tourism.
Commemorating the National Tourism Day, Gori Village at Basar in Leparada District has been identified as a model for Rural and Community Centric Tourism. This is the first under the initiative. The department of tourism has decided  to develop five villages in every Tourism District of Arunachal Pradesh within the next five years.
 Through our training workshops in the districts, especially in remote rural areas, we have reached to more than 25 Rural Tourism Destinations, which have been brought to the tourism map of the state. This initiative in the villages have helped to empower the local communities, especially women of the host society. They have now become protectors of their culture and their local biodiversity, said Deputy Director Tourism, Bengia Manna Sonam.
An audio-visual show of the national webinar at SFCI with the participation of  officers and Tour Operator members of APTOA followed by a meeting to discuss the importance of National Tourism Day and the importance of the theme with the staff at Directorate office was held.
The day concluded with the decision to organize a two day training for guides at Itanagar on January 27-28 and Homestay Congress at Ziro, the 3rd in the series from January 31 to February 2 next 
At TAWANG, MLA Tawang, Tsering Tashi informed that the day is being celebrated to create awareness on the tourism potential of tourist destinations of the country. He said that tourism is not limited to taxi and hotel business only,but is one of the major growing industry which can play a major role in economic development of society by providing job opportunities to many.
Addressing to taxi operators, hoteliers and other stake holders, he said cleanliness,good behaviour and honesty plays important role in growth of tourism in any particular area besides good infrastructure and road communication etc.
Deputy Commissioner KN Damo stressed on cleanliness and trained human resource for development of tourism industry. He also informed that clean mountains, clean Tawang and plastic free Tawang will be given priority and appealed to the taxi operators, hoteliers and other stake holders to cooperate in the mission.
In the afternoon, DC attended a local cuisine competition among the homestay owners of Shyo village at Mandrelling village organised by the Tourism Department Tawang. 
At PASIGHAT, The Department of tourism, East Siang District organized a tourism promotion program at Oyan village, some 25 km from Pasighat. 
In the morning, the tourism department along with members of 22 Self help groups and market communities organized a cleanliness drive at Oyan market. Market communities were also sensitized on proper dumping of waste materials to keep the market area clean, as Oyan village falls on the way to Pasighat after entering Arunachal Pradesh from Ruksin gate (Assam-Arunachal boundary).
Speaking on the sidelines, DTO East Siang, Leena Perme said that villages are being targeted and trained to come up with homestay facilities for accommodating tourists.  “Villages like Silluk and Ledum are already running homestay facilities and they have been trained to maintain hospitality towards tourists”, she added.

---

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

<< Back to News List