“Dekno Apna Desh” should be first agenda : CM Khandu -

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Itanagar, 7 September : “Dekho Apna Desh should be the first agenda on our bucket list. Visiting foreign
countries should be second,” said Chief Minister Pema Khandu on the occasion of World Tourism Day here this morning.
He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for initiating the campaign and said that the ‘call’ holds much significance in view of the diversity India possesses.
Khandu informed that the state government, taking a cue from the national campaign,
launched its own ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ campaign and has till date organized six tours taking
tourism stakeholders across the state.
“Arunachal Pradesh is so much blessed with varieties of geographical, climatic and
cultural ambience that calls for its own people to visit and explore,” he said.
Khandu observed that many Arunachalees haven’t visited places within Arunachal
except their own areas but have visited a couple or more foreign countries. He insisted that
before enriching themselves with the culture and places of other countries people should first
explore their own state and country.
As Arunachal Pradesh has immense tourism potential, he revealed that in order to
leverage the untapped tourism potential, the state government will soon notify a new Tourism
Policy, including film, farm, wine and eco-tourism, homestay policy, to provide holistic
experiences to domestic and foreign tourists, attract investments and provide employment and
self-employment opportunities for the youth. He assured that this policy will focus on
preserving local culture and heritage through community involvement and showcasing local
champions.
Khandu reiterated the push for growth of high-end, niche tourism in the state keeping
in mind the ecological carrying capacity of the high-tourism potential locations.
Uncontrolled tourism and rampant tourist flow, he said, will ultimately take a toll on the
state’s culture, biodiversity and environment and advocated high-end, niche tourism in the
long run.
“We do not want crowd. Crowd produces garbage and pollution. We want sustainable
tourism while preserving our rich biodiversity. High-end tourism, in line with Bhutan, is the
only way forward,” he said.
While observing that tourists will not come to see how developed the state is but to
see its unique culture, its hills and forests, its biodiversity, flora and fauna, Khandu insisted
that all these factors should be preserved for posterity.
To diversify the state’s tourism offerings and attract a broader audience, Khandu
assured to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure for adventure sports, including trekking,
rafting, angling, paragliding and rock climbing, catering to thrill-seekers and nature
enthusiasts.
“We intend to build a Sports Tourism ecosystem in collaboration with the National
Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), based at Dirang, to impart
Certificate courses for the youth.

He called upon the youth to take advantage of the UNNATI scheme launched by Modi
during his last visit to Itanagar. He informed that under the scheme tourism in the North East
gets a major share, of which Arunachal will get a share of Rs 900 crores.
“I call upon our youths to approach the department of Industries with innovative
concepts to avail the scheme and propel forward our tourism industry,” he said.
Likewise, Khandu informed, the Union budget this year too has offered a ‘special
assistance for infrastructure development in tourism’ to Arunachal Pradesh of about Rs 250
crores.
He added that tourism, with the support of all stakeholders, will become the engine of
growth for Arunachal Pradesh in the coming years.
Social media influencers promoting Arunachal Pradesh as a tourist destination were
felicitated on the occasion.