More than 1 lakh tourists visited Nagaland in 2019

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb.11 (EMN): The Tourism industry in Nagaland has, for the last three decades, carved out its space in boosting the economy and various others sectors, taking the state to new milestones.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday tabled the annual report of the department of Tourism.

The recent achievement of the department, in the form of being awarded ‘the most promising new destination’ at OTM Mumbai, in itself has been interpreted as a sign of the potency of tourism in the state.

The tourism industry in Nagaland has extended beyond economic development encompassing a wide spectrum in the form of human resource development, eco-tourism, cultural and heritage tourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism, wellness tourism and experiential tourism.

This had created opportunities for young and educated individuals to venture into entrepreneurship in the form of home-stay, travel services and guide agencies.

Of late, rural and agro-tourism is another rising sector for tourism in the state, especially with an uprising in festivals, such as that of apples and pineapples.

Trekking or tours to foothills and destinations of historical and cultural importance have become a vital sector of tourism.

The signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Airbnb and the department of Tourism could be another huge boost to the tourism industry.

The department's annual report (2019) on the inflow of tourist to the state showed 1,31,526; with 1,25,949 domestic tourists and 5577 foreign tourists.

Statistics of tourist inflow (January to December 2019)

Sl.No	Month	Domestic	Foreign	Total/monthly
1	January	4021	195	4216
2	February	3948	241