The National Tourism Day , celebrated every year  on January 25 to raise awareness of the importance of tourism for the country's economy was also observed simultaneously  in Arunachal Pradesh a few days back, almost silently . But amid this nearly zero ballyhoo episode a couple of news have surfaced , simple in the sense if measured by  media attention they  have attracted , but   very interesting and encouraging as far as  true  realization of the state’s tourism potential, widely acknowledged as the growth engine of Arunachal   is concerned.

It is the adoption of Ledum, the cleanest village in East Siang district by the state Department of Tourism as a model tourism village and also a similar action  at Shergaon in West Kameng,  to boost rural and eco- tourism in the district. 

Village tourism also called rural tourism in our country has a great potential ,  yet to be tapped fully and in Arunachal it is still in its infancy.Once a success story evolves , the state’s rural employment scenario  will surely witness a sea change . And with a little more intense planning and a slice of professionalism there is no reason why rural tourism will not be a success in this least explored state of the nation , also the most beautiful. 

Every village in Arunachal has something exciting to dole out , with the central idea essentially being  a “ back to nature” exposure.  Identifying their   USP’s/strengths  as regards  handicrafts, folk music, dance, puppet shows, theatre/street dramas should be the priority of any planning process given the fact that ours is essentially a tribal state.

Once done, focus should be on the vital  aspects such as preparation of documentary  history  of the chosen place for visitors/tourists to go through, inclusive of an enriched gallery showcasing the  local culture , specialties, achievements  etc. ,getting the  basics right – from hygiene, water, road and good shelter , training the hosts i.e  villagers and paying guest landlords on ways to address the pan Indian as well as foreign tourist inflow and involving the genuine NGOs and serious corporate bodies  in specific cases . In addition to the above,  a decent restaurant  offering tribal cuisine and  internet connectivity- there can be nothing more a tourist will expect !. A satisfied tourist, out of sheer gratitude will convey his moments of enchantment in Arunachal via the social media and as an effect it will capture the imagination of others who will start the process of packing their travelling paraphernalia, almost instantly.

Now that Arunachal is rising from the slumber with the highways and airport coming up soon these  tourism villages can very well be the effective instruments of inclusive growth and booster doses for the state’s growth  engine. Emergence of Ledums and  Shergaons should be  on a regular basis and not ‘few and far between’ affairs.