| Tourists' Hornbill Festival woes |
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By Jenny Zeliang Last month, I was part of the team which organized the China acrobatic show in Mumbai. The event was organized by the Chinese consulate in Mumbai, India-China Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (Govt of India). From my long association with the Chinese people and Chinese government officials, I have come to know two qualities Chinese people have – their patriotism and their expertise in grabbing opportunities. When we approached the Chinese government officials with a proposal to organize the event, they were more than willing to get involved. After all, the China Acrobatic show is popular world over and it promotes China and their culture. Recently, I had the opportunity to interact with some officials of Nagaland Govt. It was regarding Hornbill festival. Me and some associates had developed a site related to it. For the last three years, hundreds of tourists have contacted us and we have addressed their needs at our capacity – providing information and guiding them. However, the volume of enquiries grew so much that we decided it was time the government of Nagaland started addressing the needs of tourists who wanted to visit the festival. Many tourists are confused about Permits required to enter Nagaland. Tourists are worried about accommodation, travel and security issues. Foreign correspondents enquire about info on how to cover the festival, many bands enquire about the rock contest, and some people have business ideas relating to the festival and many such enquiries. We would require a team of people having knowledge in various aspects of the festival to address the needs of these tourists. However, after interacting with some Nagaland government officials on the issue, I realised they were not much interested. Regarding the issue of shortage of accommodation, one government official said “Unless the private sector comes in and builds Hotels, we cannot provide accommodation.” From the many enquiries we have received on accommodation, I have noticed that many tourists want to stay in huts and ‘normal rooms’. Tourists do not expect 4-star or 5-star accommodation in Nagaland. Home-stays are a popular concept catching up in India these days. Residents of Kohima can keep aside one room in their homes for tourists during Hornbill festival. The room should accommodate at least two persons and should be clean. This way, Kohima residents can earn some good income. Tourists also like to visit nearby villages. Small hikes can be organized for tourists at a cost. Regarding the issue of Permits for tourists (Inner Line Permit and Restricted Area Permit), I think it will help the tourists if the government issues permits in Dimapur airport and Railway station during the Hornbill festival. For tourists, these permits are something like visas. We can copy the concept of Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and some other countries which offer visas-on-arrival. Let us hope we have a grand festival this year too. 
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