Itanagar, July 13: Tourism Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona has called for aggressive promotion to mark an impact on the tourism industry and underscored the dire need for newer approaches. 
“Due diligence is required because, when we talk about tourism in Arunachal, we need to discuss how this department can be further strengthened. We need out-of-the-box ideas for the advancement of tourism. We expect these suggestions from you. Our role is to support and guide, but your expertise is crucial,” he said.
Sona was speaking at the first review meeting of the Department of Tourism which was chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein today to deliberate upon and conceive plans for aggressive boost to state’s tourism sector. 
Advisor to Minister, Tourism, Mopi Mihu; Advisor to DCM Anupam Tangu; Commissioner (Finance) Y. W. Ringu; Secretary (Planning) R.K Sharma; Director (Tourism) K. N. Damo and Joint Director (Planning) Tabe Haider, were present among others. 
A presentation of the Department of Tourism on the background, projects being implemented, acquired assets, manpower, flagship programs, human resource development, and other activities initiated during the last two years was made in the initial part of the discussion. 
Equitable distribution of manpower to overcome the understaffing in the department was focused. Underutilized, disputed or damaged assets were identified and the District Tourism Officers were asked to ensure that the same are leased and monetized at the earliest.
Plans to promote potential tourist hotspots to attract more tourists were deliberated upon. Exploring possibility of creation of festivals on Geographical Indication, GI tagged products was also deliberated.
The Deputy Chief Minister said, “In Arunachal, Tourism carries the potential to be one of the biggest industries. Nobody was thinking of going to Kerala for mere tourism, a few years ago. Today, because of their well-planned development of tourism as an industry, the scene has changed. Kerala has transformed into a major tourist destination. We need to make Arunachal a tourist destination in a similar way.”
Departmental reforms were assured by the Advisor Mopi Mihu saying he would seek allied departments' support for the same. He urged DTOs and stakeholders to identify and leverage the tourism potential of different regions. 
The department was asked to work on developing tourist regions so that the retention period of tourists increased and focus on event-related tourism to create a lasting impression.
The meeting concluded with the collective efforts for augmenting the tourism sector in Arunachal Pradesh, harnessing unique potential, and addressing the challenges faced by the department.

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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
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