Tourists prefer 'Home Stay' in Aruchal

Our Correspondent

Itagar, February 17: Majority of tourists who visit Aruchal Pradesh prepare to stay in ‘Home Stay’, said Duyu Tamo, general secretary of Aruchal Pradesh Tour Operations Association (APTOA). Tamo is also the principal operator of the State’s people choice awardees Duyu Tours & Travels.

Having seen the behavior of tourist and experienced as a tour operator for last many years, he recommends Home Stay as one of major source of income generation for the people of the state especially in rural area. Presently he is guiding two foreign tourists from France and Poland.

The tourists are on a 28-day tour programme. As per programme they had to stay two days at Ziro in a Home Stay.

Excited with uniqueness of experience and comfort in Home Stay which was constructed with typical traditiol house of Apatani run by Duyu Haniya and Aming at Reru village, the couple extended one more day, informed Tamo.

He further disclosed that every rural houses of Ziro could be turned into Home Stay provided they modify the toilets system and maintain cleanliness of the surrounding.

“Once Apatani Cultural & Landscape is declared as World Heritage Site, tourist inflow both domestic and foreign will increase considerably,” he added and suggested the people to give due emphasize on Home Stay.

Impressed by the scenic beauty of Ziro and the attitude of its people, the visiting tourists Guillaume Jacques Noel of France and Irmi Kotiuk of Poland appreciated the uniqueness in preserving the forest such as bamboo garden, pine grove, practice of agricultural system.

They also attended a Mida ceremony, part of Apatani marriage system in which groom is persoted with bacon (Yoh Asso). They have noted the procedure curiously and said ‘they never have heard such kind of system in which bacon is considered as main part of the transaction’. Later they also met with the elderly tattooed persons of the community who also still having nose plug. “This community has vast treasure of tradition and culture. If situation permit, we will visit here again”, they commented.