ZIRO, 5 Aug: As Ziro valley gears up to roll out the 10th edition of the Ziro Festival of Music (ZFM) in September end, heralding the beginning of the tourist season in the idyllic valley, a joint meeting of tour operators, homestay operators, tour guides, hoteliers, cab drivers and members of NGO Ngunu Ziro was convened here on Saturday.
Chairing the meeting, Lower Subansiri DC Bamin Nime advocated responsible and community-based tourism in the valley, and said that “Ziro valley has come
under the global radar for its high potential in the field of tourism, and could become a tourism hub, provided basic principles of responsible tourism are followed by all the stakeholders.”
Calling for “community participation in the tourism sector” to benefit the local population and the district’s economy, the DC said that “Ziro valley should replicate the success stories of Meghalaya and Tawang, where tourism has become the mainstay of the economy, propelled by community participation.”
He urged the stakeholders to be skilled in their respective professions and to be hospitable to the guests visiting the valley, “so that they leave back Ziro valley with fond memories and recommend others to visit the valley.”
Stressing on the importance of cleanliness, the DC appealed to all to participate in cleanliness and garbage management drives organised by the district administration from time to time.
District Tourism Officer Dikchu Raji informed that Ziro valley has 14 hotels and resorts with 48 registered homestays.
He further informed that 1.7 lakh domestic and 150 international tourists visit Ziro annually.
Informing that identity cards would be issued to tour guides by the tourism department, the DTO said that “the department will also soon conduct training programme for the tour guides to train them in managing tourism activities in the valley in a holistic and calibrated approach.”
He further informed that “non-performing homestay operators will be dealt with seriously.”
Bomdila (West Kameng)-based Himalayan Holidays CEO Tsering Wange said: “In due course of time, Ziro valley is surely poised to be ranked number one in tourist inflow due to its many favourable conditions.”
He attributed the conditions to “the good TAH from the state capital, the ZFM, the discovery of the world famous Shivling, the picturesque Siikhe and Seeh lakes, good hotels, resorts, and homestays.”
“I am sure Ziro valley is poised to overtake Tawang in tourist inflow sooner than later if the tourism industry is well-managed,” he said. (DIPRO)
