The holy site of Parshuram Kund reported over 25, 000 visitors this year during Makar Sankranti for a dip in the sacred waters of the Lohit River.
The Kund is a holy shrine for the Hindus who believe that a holy dip in the sacred water washes away the sins.
Apart from being a pilgrimage site, the area also attracts a lot of visitors who are interested in nature as well as the paraphernalia that comes with the celebration of Makar Sakranti which includes a fair held in Tezu, the headquarters of Lohit district where mostly cheap Chinese goods are sold.
The numbers of visitors is an ample example that Arunachal has high tourism potential.
Each district has something unique to offer to visitors. The onus is on the tourism department to tap the huge tourism potential by giving all necessary facilities.
If the government is keen on tourism, it must improve provisions for all kinds of tourists. Arunachal has lot to offer from cultural to religious as well as nature and eco-tourism.
While the state should be careful about what kind of tourists come, but at the same time, it needs a proper tourism policy so that the inflow of tourists who are able to give back to the community is increased.
If the government intends on standing by its oft-repeated ‘tourist potential’ mantra of the state, it has to first consider maintaining such assets before moving on to newer pastures in the tourism sector or simply pushing in funds for already established tourism sites.