Nagaland: Centre lifts PAP for 10 days to boost Hornbill Festival tourism

DIMAPUR — Easing pre-Hornbill Festival worries for Nagaland, the government of India has lifted the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime in the state for 10 days, allowing foreign tourists’ seamless entry during the flagship festival beginning December 1.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in an official communication to the Nagaland chief secretary on Saturday, informed that the relaxation has been granted exclusively for the 26th edition of the Hornbill Festival, whose opening date coincides with the State Commemoration Day.

The Centre’s decision to relax PAP comes in the wake of a series of requests from Nagaland government, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, which had highlighted the festival’s growing global pull, its significance for the state’s tourism-driven economy, and the participation of six partner countries in cultural events, business roundtables and networking programmes.

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Relaxation only for tourism

According to the MHA, the PAP relaxation will remain in force from December 1 to 10, and will “automatically end at midnight on December 10”. The concession is strictly for tourism purposes, the Ministry underscored.

However, citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan, as well as foreign nationals of these origins, will continue to require prior approval from the MHA before entering Nagaland.

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While granting the temporary relaxation, the Centre directed the state government to strengthen monitoring mechanisms for visiting foreigners during the festival.

Foreigners Registration Officers (FROs) and police authorities have been instructed to keep “a close watch” and take necessary action under relevant laws, including the Immigration and Foreigners Act, if any adverse activity is detected.

The MHA letter also noted that tourism remains a crucial economic driver for Nagaland, creating livelihoods and employment, and that the anticipated surge of visitors from across India and abroad warranted the temporary easing of restrictions.