ZEMITHANG, Apr 13: Thirty-five trainees from six villages in Zemithang circle of Tawang district participated in a three-day workshop on ‘Conservation tourism and homestay hospitality’ which concluded here on Friday.
The workshop was organized by the department of tourism, in collaboration with the World Pheasant Society of India (WPSI), the Association for Conservation & Tourism, and the Arunachal Pradesh Society for Education & Development. Assistant Director of Tourism, Bengia Manna Sonam, had inaugurated it on Tuesday.
The course focused on rural tourism, developing the trainees’ communication capacities, homestay management, housekeeping, food production, hygiene, and habitat conservation, among other facets of hospitality management.
Resource person on habitat, Dr Anwaruddin Chowdhury informed the trainees about the unique Red Panda and pheasant habitat with which they share their homes. Practical training in bed-making, cleaning, and table layout was also imparted to the trainees.
On Thursday morning a team of experts, along with a few trainees, led by WPSI Arunachal Pradesh coordinator Heerak Nandi went on an outdoor survey of the habitat, while the assistant director of tourism, Tawang DTO Tsering Dicki, and the TIO surveyed homestay facilities and the tourist lodge.
The local community and the trainees proposed conducting a weeklong ‘Red Panda and pheasant festival’ here in October.
It may be mentioned here that the tourism department’s efforts to motivate people to establish homestay facilities are bearing fruits. As many as 20 homestay facilities in Tawang, 26 in West Kameng, and three in East Kameng district have so far been registered under the department.
