He addressed mediapersons here at his private residence right after his return from Longwa village in Mon district where he placed the foundation stone of a museum. Rio said the state government and its departments had been busy the year round organizing road shows in the districts. He said the main purpose of the roads shows, coinciding with the festivals of various Naga tribes, was to highlight the activities of the government departments as well as to showcase and promote the culture of the Naga tribes. All these activities will culminate with the “Festival of Festivals” (Hornbill Festival) scheduled for the first week of December, the chief minister said. On his visit to Longwa, Rio said besides laying the foundation stone for a proposed museum, he also addressed a public meeting where Nagas from the other side of the international border (Myanmar) also attended.
The State Department of Tourism also in a notification dated October 28, stated that in line with the cabinet decision, the department has adopted and registered the official State tourism slogan as “Nagaland – Land of Festivals” and Hornbill Festival as “Festival of festivals.” The notification also stated that henceforth the Department of Tourism shall use the two slogans for tourism campaigns and publicity.
Secretary, Tourism, Khekiye K Sema said this year’s Hornbill festival will be grander than other years and include additional events. Even the number of tourists is expected to swell this year. The Tourism Secretary said besides Korean and Japanese participation, a 60-strong delegation from Thailand will be taking part in the festival. He also informed that DoNER Ministry had proposed inviting at least a cultural troupe from Myanmar.
A special day will also be dedicated to the northeastern states taking part in the festival, Khekiye informed. Norman Putsure Secretary Urban Development also informed that a number of initiatives have been taken to welcome the tourists during the festival. Minister for Forest and Environment MC Konyak was also present at the briefing.