NAMSAI, 10 Feb: A two-day zonal-level ‘rural tourism meet’ for the eastern districts of the state, organised by the Namsai tourism department here, concluded on Saturday.
The meet, themed ‘Sustainable journeys, timeless memories’ focused on “destination management through upskilling and responsible practices for tourism stakeholders, based on the responsible tourism guidelines of Anjaw, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Changlang, Lohit, East Siang and Namsai districts,” according to an official release.
Addressing the tourism officers and stakeholders of the districts, Tourism Deputy Director Bengia Manna Sonam emphasised on the need for “adoption of responsible and sustainable practices, along with community-based tourism practice models of the department for the benefit of tourism stakeholders.”
District tourism officers of East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley (LDV) and Lohit districts highlighted the “tourism inventory and scopes” in their districts, and the challenges they face.
During the technical and interaction sessions, rural tourism and homestays adviser Raj Basu spoke on “sustainable development of destinations,” while master trainer SS Kar imparted “hospitality training for homestays, restaurants and resorts,” the release said.
Members of NGOs like the Green Hub and the SEED Foundation delivered presentations on environmental concerns.
The first day of the programme was attended by 92 stakeholders, comprising homestay owners, hoteliers, resorts owners, tour operators, and potential stakeholders.
“The second day saw the participation of stakeholders in groups in the practice of itinerary design and creation,” the release stated.
