The Hornbill Festival, which has been named festival of festivals, will showcase the grandeur of rich Naga tradition and culture from December 1-7 and have more than 2,000 tourists, including 500 from abroad.
Joint director of tourism department Thomas Kent said there has been an increase in the inflow of tourists in Nagaland during the festival and the state government was particularly impressed by the flow of foreign tourists.
He said increase in number of tourists during Hornbill Festival has added taste and colour to the celebrations. Thomas said all hotels and guesthouses and some private houses in Kohima, Dimapur and the nearby villages have been already booked by tourists.
He regretted that tourists have to face some inconvenience during the festival.
Most of the foreign tourists will be from Europe, Japan and the US, according to the state government.
Nagaland has restrictions like inner line permit (ILP) and restricted area permit (RAP), which are required for people visiting the state because of prolonged political unrest and to safeguard Nagas from exploitation.
Despite these, there has been steady inflow of tourists because of the current situation in the state as there is a peace process between the Union government and the Naga rebels. Now, New Delhi has recently relaxed the restricted area permit for a year for the foreign tourists after requests and persuasion by the state government.
The government had pointed out that the permits had been the main obstacle for tourists and wanted the Centre to relax these, particularly the restricted area permit slapped on foreign visitors.
The festival is a tribute to the hornbill, which is the most admired and revered bird of the Nagas. This majestic bird is closely identified with the social and cultural life of the Naga people, as reflected in various indigenous folklore, dances and songs.
Over the years, this event has gained in stature and vision. It has now become a unique platform for tourists to witness the cultural diversity not only of the Nagas but also the seven states of the Northeast in all its wonder and glory. Since 2007, cultural troupes from abroad have been taking part in the festival and it is slowly turning out to be an international event according to the state government.
This year, too, cultural troupes from the seven states of the region and other parts of the country will take part in the celebrations.
Several dignitaries from the region, the rest of the country and foreign countries are expected to attend the celebrations. Hectic preparations are on at Kisama while the government has also engaged youth organisations from the nearby villages to man security during the celebrations along with security agencies and the police.