Initiative provided new window of opportunities: Sona

ITANAGAR, 29 Aug: The valedictory ceremony of 'Kiyak Laam Kraam: Our Journey - Tourism and Culture Experience Tour' was held at the state banquet hall here on Saturday, bringing together around 100 tourism stakeholders, tour operators and homestay owners from the eight Northeastern states.

The valedictory ceremony marked the culmination of the tourism and cultural experience tour, spanning six days, during which the participants visited 11 destinations across Arunachal Pradesh. It provided them with a platform to reflect on their experiences, exchange insights and discuss opportunities for greater collaboration in tourism, hospitality and cultural exchange across the Northeast.

In his valedictory address, Tourism Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona described the initiative as "a unique collaboration between Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) and tourism stakeholders, providing a new window of opportunity for interaction and mutual understanding among the people of the Northeast."

Emphasising the importance of recognising areas requiring improvement, he said, "Your strength is identifying your weakness, and growing from."

He expressed hope that such engagements would contribute towards making the Northeast one of India's leading tourist destinations. He stressed the need to preserve the region's natural beauty while ensuring that tourism development remains sustainable and responsible. He also called for greater collaboration among Northeastern states and stakeholders to address misconceptions and showcase the region's cultural heritage, natural beauty and tourism potential.

RGU Vice-Chancellor (i/c) Prof Jayadeba Sahoo, who chaired the event, emphasised that tourism goes beyond travelling to places and experiencing and understanding different cultures. He called for unity and collective efforts to strengthen tourism in the region, highlighted the spirit of 'Atithi Devo Bhava', and stressed on tourism's impact on communities and the need to remain open to its opportunities and challenges.

In his opening remarks, RGU Registrar Dr NT Rikam expressed hope that the RAMP initiative of the Ministry of MoMSME, under which this event was conducted, would continue to engage with the university and "bring new heights to all partners."

Highlighting the meaning of Kiyak Laam Kraam as 'Our Journey' in Meyor, an endangered language of Arunachal, he stressed that tourism and hospitality are complementary, and emphasised the importance of initiatives promoting tourism and cultural exchange in the Northeast.

He congratulated the entire team of 'Our Journey' on the successful completion of the initiative.

Event director and RGU faculty member Moji Riba traced the genesis of 'Our Journey', and said that the idea emerged from the understanding that while people see the Northeast region as one, yet within the region, there is very less interaction and awareness among people in the region.

"Just like there is a need for international and domestic tourists to visit our region, there is also a felt need for regional tourism, where we visit each other and share experiences.

"This initiative is a step in that direction," he said.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Industries and the North East India Tourism Confederation (NEITC). The MoU is intended to facilitate further collaboration and synergised initiatives between the two organisations in tourism and related activities.

Another major segment of the programme was the interaction with delegates from the participating states. The session began with feedback from NEITC president Tsering Wange, followed by representatives from each of the eight Northeastern states. The delegates shared their experiences of travelling across Arunachal, and discussed its tourism destinations, cultural heritage, hospitality, homestay practices and community-based tourism.

The interaction highlighted key areas, including tourism infrastructure, homestay development, cultural tourism, connectivity and accessibility, tourist expectations, digital promotion, sustainable tourism, interstate collaboration, capacity building and community participation.

The event also witnessed the screening of a short film showcasing highlights of the tour and participants' experiences across different destinations in Arunachal. 'The Arunachal Story', a fusion presentation of priestly chants, folk melody, and traditional dance forms, and a performance by students of RGU'a fine arts and music department were also some of the highlights of the event. The performance showcased the rich cultural traditions of Arunachal.

The initiative was curated by RGU's mass communication department and the Centre for Cultural Research & Documentation (CCRD), with support from the Department of Industries, under the RAMP initiative of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India.

The event was attended also by tourism stakeholders, delegates, students, faculty members of RGU's mass communication department, and invited guests.