Guwahati, Sep 27: High-end, niche tourism is Arunachal Pradesh’s tourism strategy.

“We do not want crowd. The crowd produces garbage and pollution. We want sustainable tourism while preserving our rich biodiversity. High-end tourism, in line with Bhutan, is the only way forward,” Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

“Uncontrolled tourism and rampant tourist flow, will ultimately take a toll on the state’s culture, biodiversity, and environment and advocate high-end, niche tourism in the long run” Khandu said.

Khandu informed that the state government, taking a cue from the national campaign, launched its own ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ campaign and has , to date, organized six tours taking tourism stakeholders across the state.

“Arunachal Pradesh is so much blessed with varieties of geographical, climatic, and cultural ambiance that calls for its own people to visit and explore,” he said.

Khandu observed that many Arunachalees haven’t visited places within Arunachal except their own areas but have visited a couple or more foreign countries. He insisted that before enriching themselves with the culture and places of other countries, people should first explore their own state and country.

As Arunachal Pradesh has immense tourism potential, he revealed that in order to leverage the untapped tourism potential, the state government will soon notify a new Tourism Policy, including film, farm, wine and eco-tourism, homestay policy, to provide holistic experiences to domestic and foreign tourists, attract investments and provide employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth. He assured that this policy will focus on preserving local culture and heritage through community involvement and showcasing local champions.

While observing that tourists will not come to see how developed the state is but to see its unique culture, its hills and forests, its biodiversity, flora and fauna, Khandu insisted that all these factors should be preserved for posterity.

To diversify the state’s tourism offerings and attract a broader audience, Khandu assured to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure for adventure sports, including trekking, rafting, angling, paragliding and rock climbing, catering to thrill-seekers and nature enthusiasts.

“We intend to build a Sports Tourism ecosystem in collaboration with the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), based at Dirang, to impart certificate courses for the youth.

He called upon the youth to take advantage of the UNNATI scheme launched by Modi during his last visit to Itanagar. He informed that under the scheme, tourism in the North East gets a major share, of which Arunachal will get a share of Rs 900 crores.

“I call upon our youths to approach the department of Industries with innovative concepts to avail the scheme and propel forward our tourism industry,” he said.

Likewise, Khandu informed me that the Union budget this year too has offered a ‘special assistance for infrastructure development in tourism’ to Arunachal Pradesh of about Rs 250 crores.

He added that tourism, with the support of all stakeholders, will become the engine of growth for Arunachal Pradesh in the coming years.

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