Indian State Nagaland wants to privatize tourism lodges

In India, the Nagaland state tourism department has realized that privatization and communitization are more efficient ways of running the tourist lodges, wayside amenities and other tourism assets. It has allotted several rural tourism assets to entrepreneurs and village tourism boards to run on a day to day basis and to maintain it as well.

Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Myanmar to the east and Manipur to the south

In order to promote Nagaland as tourist centric destination, the department has completed several infrastructural and developmental projects under Integrated Tourist Eco-Adventure and Cultural Circuit at Changtongya, Mingkong, Noksen,Tobu, Shatuza in 2010-11, Tourist Travel Circuit at Vekuho, Changsu, Tiyi, Totsu,Tseminyu, Neithu Peace in 2010-11. Tourist destinations taken up by the department include Chizami destination 2009-10.

In the year 2014, the report said, the department will continue to promote several developmental activities in eco-tourism combined with rural tourism and tourist destinations, conduct fairs and festivals.

In addition, efforts for imparting knowledge and awareness programmes on tourism will be conducted for ensuring a better and sustainable tourism in Nagaland, the report said. The report added that the lifting of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) by the Home Ministry, Government of India in the last two years which has been again extended for another year, the number of tourists have started showing remarkable increase. The issue of Inner Line Permit (ILP) for domestic tourists has been also made more convenient by issuing them in Nagaland House outside the State, the report added.