Arunachal district gears for Ziro Festival of Music

ITANAGAR: As Ziro valley, in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, gears up to roll out the 10th edition of the famed Ziro Festival of Music (ZFM) in September end, heralding the beginning of tourist season at the Idyllic valley, a joint meeting of tourism-related stakeholders of the valley comprising tour operators, homestay operators, tour guides, hoteliers, cab drivers, and members of the NGO Ngunu Ziro was convened at Biiri on Saturday. Chairing the meeting, Lower Subansiri deputy commissioner Bamin Nime advocated for responsible and community-based tourism in the valley.

Nime said that Ziro Valley has come under the global radar for its high potential in the field of tourism and could become a tourism hub provided the basic principles of responsible tourism are followed by all the stakeholders. Urging community participation in the tourism sector to benefit the local population and its economy, the DC said Ziro Valley should replicate the success stories of Meghalaya and Tawang, where tourism has become the mainstay of an economy propelled by community participation. He urged the stakeholders to be skilled in their respective professions and to be hospitable to guests visiting the valley so that they leave Ziro Valley with fond memories and recommend others to visit the valley. Pointing out the importance of cleanliness for a tourist destination, the DC said cleanliness is our window to the outside world and appealed to the participants to mobilise their members and participate in cleanliness and garbage management drives organized by the district administration from time to time. The district tourism officer and organizer of the meet, Dikchu Raji, informed that Ziro Valley has 14 hotels and resorts with 48 registered homestays. He also informed that 1.7 lakh domestic and 150 international tourists annually visit Ziro Valley.

While informing the public that identity cards would be issued to tour guides by the Tourism Department, the DTO also said that the department will also conduct a training programme for the tour guides to train them in managing tourism activities in the valley in a holistic and calibrated way very soon. He further informed that non-performing homestay operators would also be dealt with seriously. Founder and CEO of Himalayan Holidays, Bomdila, and senior tour operator Tsering Wange said that in due course, Ziro Valley is surely poised to be ranked No. 1 in tourist inflow due to its many favourable conditions. He attributed the conditions to the good TAH road from the state capital with less time taken, the Ziro Festival of Music, the discovery of the world-famous Shiva Linga, the picturesque Siikhe and Seeh Lakes, and good hotels, resorts, and homestays. “I am sure Ziro Valley is poised to overtake Tawang in tourist inflow sooner than later if the tourism industry is well managed there,” he remarked. Around 30 participants, including tour operators, hoteliers, homestay operators, tour guides, and cab drivers, attended the meeting.

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