ITANAGAR, Aug 29: The “unique” initiative called Kiyak Laam Kraam: Our Journey -Tourism and Culture Experience Tour, aimed at greater collaboration in tourism, hospitality, and cultural exchange across the Northeast, concluded today with a valedictory ceremony at the State Banquet Hall.
The six-day tour involved eight NE States, covering 11 destinations across Arunachal, and brought together around 100 tourism stakeholders, tour operators and homestay owners from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Speaking as chief guest on the occasion, Tourism and Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona described the initiative as a unique collaboration between the university and tourism stakeholders, providing a “new window of opportunity” for interaction and mutual understanding among the people of the Northeast. Emphasising the importance of recognising areas requiring improvement, he remarked, “Your strength is identifying your weakness, and growing from.”
He expressed hope that such engagements would contribute towards making the Northeast one of India’s leading tourist destinations. He stressed the need to preserve the region’s natural beauty while ensuring tourism development remains sustainable and responsible. He also called for greater collaboration among Northeastern States and stakeholders to address misconceptions and showcase the region’s cultural heritage, natural beauty and tourism potential.
RGU Vice-Chancellor (i/c) Prof Jayadeba Sahoo emphasised that tourism goes beyond travelling to places and experiencing and understanding different cultures. He called for unity and collective efforts to strengthen tourism in the region, highlighted the spirit of “Atithi Devo Bhava,” and stressed tourism’s impact on communities and the need to remain open to its opportunities and challenges.
RGU Registrar Dr NT Rikam expressed hope that the RAMP initiative of the Ministry of MoMSME, under which this event was conducted, would continue to engage with the University and bring new heights to all partners. Highlighting the meaning of Kiyak Laam Kraam as “Our Journey” in Meyor, an endangered language of Arunachal Pradesh, he stressed that tourism and hospitality are complementary and emphasised the importance of initiatives promoting tourism and cultural exchange in the Northeast.
Event Director Moji Riba, tracing the genesis of ‘Our Journey’, shared that the idea emerged from the understanding that while people see the Northeast region as one, there is very little interaction and awareness among people within the region. “Just like there is a need for international and domestic tourists to visit our region, there is also a felt need for regional tourism where we visit each other and share experiences.” This initiative is a step in that direction, he said.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Industries, GoAP, and the North East India Tourism Confederation (NEITC).