Sponsored by the state government, the team will reach Edinburgh on July 27 for rehearsals.
Chief minister T.R. Zeliang said the total budget for this tour was Rs 164.11 crore but the logistics of board, lodging and conveyance in Scotland would be borne by the host. He said state government was committed towards promoting the state to the larger world community with genuine efforts to encourage tourism and soften bottlenecks faced by the people while visiting the state.
“Our rich traditional cultural, cuisine, music and dance have been annually showcased in the Hornbill Festival with increasing foreign tourists every year,” he said.
Zeliang said promoting Nagaland in the UK through the exposure of Naga youths was a unique opportunity that held positives for both the participants and the state.
The chief minister said since the first Edinburgh Tattoo in 1950 over 12.5 million people have attended the live performances with an annual audience of 2,20,000. “This will be the biggest event that Nagaland has perhaps ever participated in reaching an unprecedented international audience through live performances and television networks,” Zeliang said.
For the participants Zeliang said it would be a lifetime experience that each individual would carry for the rest of his live. “We get to promote brand Nagaland to the international community, riding on the exposure platform provided by the tattoo.”