NAGALAND

LAND OF FESTIVALS

Imliwala Imsong | Sustainable ecotourism and entrepreneurship | April 6, 2024

Roll no. 5510
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………
…………. 2
2. DISCUSSIONS………………………………………………………………………………………
……………. 4
 Private sector participation in sustainable
tourism………………………………. 4
 Government participation in sustainable tourism…………………………………
6
 Tourism Industry
Collaboration……………………………………………………………. 7
 Academic and Research
Institutions……………………………………………………… 7
 International
Partnerships…………………………………………………………………….. 7
 Capacity Building and Training……………………………………………….
……………. 8
 Monitoring and
Evaluation……………………………………………………………………. 8
3. CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………………………………………………
………….. 9

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INTRODUCTION

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (WTO, 2004) defines sustainable to
urism as
“tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting
and enhancing
opportunity for the future.” The WTO views sustainable tourism not as a product
type, but as an ethos which should encompass all tourism activities. As such, it is
integral to all aspects of tourism development and management rather than being
an add‐on component.

The objective of sustainable tourism is to retain the economic and social advantages
of tourism
development while reducing or mitigating any undesirable impacts on the natural, h
istorical, cultural or social environment. This is achieved by balancing the needs of
tourists with those of the destination and requires the participation of all
stakeholders in the planning process.

Nagaland is a land of transition; a satisfying compromise between the old order and
the new; a fusion of styles and cultures of the hill tribes. The young state of
Nagaland is economically weak and entirely depends on its agriculture. Inefficient
infrastructure and poor connectivity are the major deterrents for tourists. The entry
permit formality for both domestic and international tourists is another hurdle for
tourists. However, the State Department of Tourism is trying to develop tourist
facilities in various places. The state has excellent potential for tourism development
with an emphasis on Eco-tourism/Adventure tourism and Heritage Tourism.
However, the success of its tourism highly depends on the enthusiasm and inputs
from the state government and also on the infrastructure development of the entire
Northeast region.

In a state like Nagaland, which is blessed with natural resources, any attempt at
socio-economic development has to be considered with utmost concern for the
natural environment. And considering this factor alone agriculture and tourism
could be the best alternatives for the bright future of Nagaland.

Nagaland has tremendous and unique tourism potential. This could be tapped
mainly through the concept of eco-tourism. Nature/wildlife tourism, adventure
tourism, cultural / heritage tourism, leisure tourism, and international border
tourism could be some special tourist packages.

Status of Tourism in Nagaland the concept of tourism development in Nagaland is

still in its infancy. The tourist inflow to Nagaland is meager comparing to the
touristically advanced States of the country. The status of tourism is reflected in the
following statistical data of tourist inflow to Nagaland.

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DISCUSSION
Private sector participation in sustainable tourism may occur in a wide array o
f activities; among those with significant experience in private participation are:

− Marketing and promotion

− Product development

− Infrastructure development/renewal

− Attraction development/renewal/diversification

− Enhanced productivity and service

− Community development/renewal

− Cultural and heritage protection

− Environmental protection/enhancement

While this list is extensive, it is important to remember that there are certain activiti
es which are
inherently governmental. Although private input may in some cases be valuable, it
will remain
the government’s responsibility to: determine and approve tourism strategy; contrac
t for major
infrastructure projects; grant project approvals, permits and licenses; evaluate/
monitor contracted
services; approve payment for contracted services; and in certain instances, to act a
s a regulator.

Some strategies to plan with private stakeholders are:

− Identify key stakeholders including government bodies, local communities,

NGOs, conservation organizations, tourism agencies, and private sector
entities.

− Understand their interests, goals, and concerns related to ecotourism

development in Nagaland.

Some examples are:

Community Lead Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary; and

Ecotourism in Khonoma Village

Community Lead Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary; and Ecotourism

initiatives in Khonoma Village are a great success. Keeping in view of negative
impact of logging and hunting, the Village Council and the villagers collectively
banned logging and hunting. The efforts towards the conservation are in line with
the directives of the Tourism Department. In 2003 Khonoma was selected and
started the funding of the Green Village project by the Tourism Department of
Nagaland under the scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. After being

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initiated and funded by a government scheme it is still identified as a community
initiative for the following reasons:

− Community members have taken the lead in the planning and

implementation of the project.

− The sense of ownership in the community is high.

− Ecotourism is flourishing with the effort of the community, well beyond the
budget and period of the project.

Nature Conservation and Eco-Tourism Project in Jotsoma Village

Jotsoma Village has recently taken up the “Nature Conservation and Eco-Tourism
Project” in their Community Reserved Forest under which the Puliebadze Wildlife
Sanctuary is situated. It is to be mentioned that Jotsoma youth plays an important
role by maintaining the vigilance of trekkers and making sure nothing is taken from
the reserve. The villagers believe that the ecotourism industry can boost the
village’s economy by generating employment and revenues in the form of tourist
guides, tourist transport and lodging places for tourists.

Amur Falcon Conservation

Nagaland is declared as the Amur Falcon capital of the world by an international

team of ornithologists from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Wildlife
Institute of India, Convention of Migratory Species Office, United Nations
Environment Programme and Environment Agency. Every year, a huge number of
migrating Amur Falcons from Siberia stopover in the state, on their way to Africa. It
is considered to be one of the biggest falcon roosts in the world. The conservation
programme is mainly implemented by a local NGO-Natural Naga, Nagaland Wildlife
and Biodiversity Conservation Trust, working with the Nagaland Forest Department
along with the village council of Pangti, Ashaa and Sungro village, Wokha district.
The village council of the three villages signed a declaration making hunting and
killing of Amur Falcons illegal and punishable. This initiative with the positive
support from village communities not only helped in reaching a zero-mortality rate
of the birds during its roosting period in Nagaland but also has started attracting
hundreds of tourists and curious scientists. Pangti village has won the Royal Bank of
Scotland Conservation Award for its protection and conservation efforts of Amur
Falcons that roost in their village and surrounding villages for two months. The
success of such initiatives has opened the eyes of other villages and communities to
tap the natural resources for Sustainable development and livelihood.

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Governments typically have a variety of tools available to help create a viable reve
nue
stream for private investors in a major project. Depending on the individual project,
these may include:

− The ability to collect user fees (e.g., for an airport, cruise ship port, road, or
utility)

− Free (or reduced cost) use of government land for a specified period

− Government‐furnished utilities

− Off‐site infrastructure or access improvements

− Tax incentives

− Zoning exemption or relaxation

− Exclusivity or restrictions on approval of competing facilities within a specifie

d distance and/or time

− Assistance with workforce training and development.

The application of these tools to attract private investment is well known (if still
complex) as we consider projects such as an airport concession or a resort hotel. H
owever,
creating a viable revenue stream to support the goal of sustainable tourism develop
ment may sometimes require less traditional approaches. The following are the
strategies to enhance public-private partnerships in tourism:

− The Tourism Department must try various funding avenues in the process
towards making activities economically feasible and sustainable. The state /
central governments may provide limited assistance for the initial gestation
period. However, a definite strategy has to be worked out for the long-term
maintenance of such facilities. Other funding avenues should be tapped.
Various government departments and organisations provide specialised
funding for specific projects related to their activities and the tourism sector
being a versatile sector could tap these resources.

− Establish partnerships with government bodies such as the Department of

Tourism, Department of Environment & Forests, Department of Rural
Development, and Department of Tribal Affairs

− Collaborate on policy formulation, regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure

development for ecotourism.

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TOURISM INDUSTRY COLLABORATION:
− Partner with tour operators, travel agencies, hospitality businesses, and
adventure sports providers to promote responsible ecotourism experiences.

− Develop joint marketing campaigns, tour packages, and training programs

focusing on sustainable tourism practices and cultural immersion.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS:

− Engage universities, research institutions, and academic experts in fields
such as ecology, anthropology, and tourism management.

− Foster research collaborations, data collection, and monitoring programs to

assess the ecological and socio-economic impacts of ecotourism.

− There are many national and international organisations/universities which

are interested in long-term ecological research and appropriate development
in the regions like Northeast. The tourist infrastructure could be also used
for such complementary activities and made sustainable. The Institutional
Funding Agencies may be classified under the following categories:

National Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

International NGOs
International Government Agencies
Inter-Governmental Organisations (IGOs)

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
− Explore partnerships with international organizations, development agencies,
and donor agencies working on ecotourism and sustainable development
initiatives.

− Seek funding support, technical assistance, and knowledge exchange

opportunities to enhance the ecotourism program in Nagaland.

− The international funding agencies have different approaches. Some provide

funding in the form of grants and also technical know-how / human resources
etc. These are collaborative projects, bilateral or multilateral. The ODA and
European Union provide funding in this manner. These are generally long-
term projects (5 to 10 years) and the funding agencies regularly monitor the
progress of the project through their own consultants / specialised
institutions. These agencies generally provide 100% funding on the cost
estimates worked out jointly, however, they ensure the commitment of the
grantee to look after, maintain and continue the project in future. The
agreements / MOUs ensure these clauses for the commitment. These
agencies also ensure the participation of the grantee in the form of existing

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 infrastructure including human resources, land etc. at the beginning of the
project.

− There are other funding agencies, which are basically financial institutions
like Asian Development Bank (ADB), Overseas Economic Corporate Fund
(OECF), now JBIC, International Monetary Fund (IMF) etc. These agencies
provide soft loans for mostly development projects. They have their
parameters to decide about the eligibility components. Such funding is
generally provided to the Government Departments and there are standard
norms of sureties for repayments etc. They also insist on proportionate
investment/participation from the recipient. For example, the JBIC provides
financial assistance in the form of soft loans up to a maximum of 85% of the
total project costs. The eligible components for JBIC are Land Cost,
Infrastructure Development Cost, Compensation / Rehabilitation cost, Duties
& Taxes, Interest during the implementation of the project etc. These loans
are provided to the State Government Departments with the approval of the
Ministry of External Affairs. Most of the time, 30% of the approved amount is
provided as a Grant and 70% as a Loan. This type of funding is very useful for
tourism development projects, wherein the State Governments do not have
financial resources to develop the basic tourism infrastructure and at the
same time, once such an infrastructure is created, they can start generating
revenue regularly. However, the state government will need to provide the
seed money to the extent of 15% of the project cost.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING:

− Conduct capacity-building workshops, training programs, and skill
development initiatives for stakeholders involved in ecotourism.

− Emphasize sustainable tourism practices, environmental conservation,

cultural sensitivity, and community engagement.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

− Establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the performance and
impact of strategic alliances and partnerships in the ecotourism program.

− Regularly review progress, gather feedback from stakeholders, and make

necessary adjustments to enhance collaboration and achieve program
objectives.

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CONCLUSION
The proposed Perspective Plan for the Tourism Development in Nagaland takes into
consideration all facts and recommends new and innovative complementary
concepts without too much of financial liabilities. Nagaland Tourism will stabilise
and then will get a boost due to these innovative large projects, which have varied
characters and could attract tourists from varied avenues. It is also possible to
attract tourists to Nagaland multiple times because of these diverse activities and
attractions. Nagaland state, like the others in the Northeast Region, has to deal with
various difficulties, infrastructure hurdles and socio-political problems. These are
beyond the control of one single state. It will take some time to resolve these issues
when tourism in the region will start growing. The Perspective Plan envisages this
and attempts to make the Tourism Department act as a catalyst to augment the
tourism potential of the state. Over the years, tourism will be a community activity
in Nagaland with Nagaland Tourism taking a role of the initiator and facilitator.

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