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8/3/2019 Destination NORTH EAST
1/15
NMIMS University Branding North East India
Seminar Paper Page1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NORTH EAST WONDERS ..................................................................................................... 4
CHALLENGES IN THE ROADWAY .................................................................................... 6
BRANDING NORTH EAST INDIA ...................................................................................... 8
MARKETING & PUBLICITY: UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMATIQUE .... 8
Role of tour operators .................................................................................................... 8
SPECIAL PRODUCTS FOR TOURISM ...................................................................... 10
OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM OF CONNECTIVITY AND BASIC
INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................... 10
ADDRESSING THE SECURITY RESTRICTIONS ...................................................... 13
FUTURE of the UNDISCOVERED PARADISE .............................................................. 14
REFERENCE ............................................................................................................................. 15
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DESTINATION
NORTH-EAST
INDIA!The travelling spirit of man has
survived the centuries. In history
there were cases recorded, which tell the tale ofmans traveling throughout the
centuries. Since the early historical period, traveling is a fascination for man. Travel
tours in the distant past, however were made, for the purpose of pleasure as the concept
of seeking a vacation from work was not prevalent in such a situation.
However there is a significant change in the way tourism can be seen today. Ourholidays are not limited to domestic destinations, but a growing number of people
opting for overseas destinations. In India, people are moving out of the country for
exploring the foreign destinations over the high seas in huge numbers. It comes as a
surprise to me that while we have a large number of destinations in our own country
that are covered all over India, with a wide variety of offerings, but the interest still
lingers in international destination? One reason why Indians have made such a choice is
the loss of faith in BRAND INDIA. Another reason is that we are not able to explore and
use the potential of many places that are
presumed to be distant.
Northeast India has the potential to become
the hub of the Indian tourism industry.With
the pristine mountains, tea gardens, rivers
and traditional culture which is as fresh and
elegant as it has always been, it has
everything you need to be a world class
tourist paradise. People often describe the
North East as a BACKWATER- I would like tothink of it as a gateway to WILD FRONTIER.
Only tenuously connected to the rest of India, Sikkim and Seven Sisters- the states of
Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur- are a
world apart from Indian Plains. The WILD EAST of India where a string of Adivasi
socities have had their way of life protected by impregnable jungles, densely forested
hills and the curtain wall of Himalayas.
In language, culture and attitude, the people of the north eastern end follow the example
of both Tibet and Southeast Asia, as much as the rest of India. It was still a distant land
cast, even during the reign of Mongols and the British.
Figure 1: Tea Garden(Darjeling)
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The entrance to this little-explored region is through the fascinating city of Kolkata,
which happens to be Indias fourth largest city. From this high speed-frivolous city, one
can escape in to the a totally different India, which is rustic in its ways all though
thinking is advanced, where adventures lurk at the end of the dirt road
and where foreign travelers are still news. Despite offering such a unique and diverse
proposition, the area is strangled due to its controversial geo-political history. People
here are very concerned about their safety and security from the cross border activities
and also the various indigenous groups.
The Northeast is still one of the largest regions of the country which have yet not
developed. The trauma of partition in 1947 has not only diluted the speed of their
economic progress but has also taken them behind in time as compared to the other
part of the nation. But now people in the region have become more ambitious due to
which the vision of 2020 was framed by 2020, they aspire to see their region emerge
peaceful, strong, confident, and ready to engage with the global economy. They wouldlike to march on the path of economic, social and cultural progress towards prosperity
and well-being.
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NMIMS University Branding North East India
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NORTH EAST WONDERS
The whole area presents a huge potential for tourism, which is waiting to be tapped,
high literacy, particularly in states like Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur (who are over
the amount of literacy than the national average), low density of population (the
population is 3.79% of the
population, but its geographical area
is about 8%), moderately high
standards of health and a healthy
climate, are important strengths of
the region. The fact that the people
of these countries are familiar
with the English will make even
better equipped for international
tourism.
The North Eastern region has 64% forest cover, an ecological asset(19.39% of the area in India is estimated under forest cover) For those who have
been identified environmental "hot spots" in the world. Relative difficult area has
helped to preserve its pristine natural beauty, its variety of plants and animals,
wild orchids, bamboo varieties of rare medicinal plants and rare one-horned
rhinoceros whose only habitat in this area. Therefore, a fashionable concept of
ecotourism is easy acceptance here. It is a two way process, where tourists and
tour operators will help to strengthen the environment, while the local
environment and to provide resources and support to a very nice holiday.
Northeast Area is a huge differences in culture and lifestyle .However, very different may have a
deterrent effect. The area has so much
variety, it is difficult for potential
tourists to decide where to go and what
to watch. So tourism is responsible for
creating specific routes, or aimed at
private customers. City of Shillong, for
example, has the opportunity to become
another Mcleodganj and Dalhousie. His
laid-back charm and colonial
architecture, cafes, and young rock
bands, and pleasant walks in the
surrounding area a special appeal to
young travelers or couples, honeymoon
Figure 2: Jungle-Monastry-Hills-Rivers
Figure 3: Assam Bihu Dance
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There is great potential for development and adventure tourism, either inwhite water rafting and fishing or hiking in Assam, Arunachal. Those who are
looking for an adrenaline is a lot to do with their time and money.
Another possibility is to develop the pilgrimages. There are countless Buddhistmonasteries and Hindu temples in the area, such as the Tawang Monastery 400
years old and medieval Kamakhya Temple. Spiritual tourism is well known that a
lot of tourists from around the world.
Another type of tourist - and the fashion designers, for example - you can findround Mizoram craft centers more attractive. State sarongs and scarves and
bamboo, and models are excellent.
The benefits of tourist revenue to more than
one. Be the workforce, which can create jobs
and ensure that benefits are shared by a
large number of service providers,accommodation, food and drink, crafts, local
transportation, guides, shopping,
entertainment, photography, etc.. In
addition, tourism allows for decentralized
regional development. Northeast diversity of
needs and desires of the individual tribes,
makes decentralized development is particularly important. Tourism is also to
ensure that development is a city-centric.
Figure 4: Mizoram Craft
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CHALLENGES IN THE ROADWAY
The Vision 2020 document released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008 for the
Northeastern region earmarks infrastructure-led tourism developmentas one of the
primary hopefuls for revenue generation. Although India is touted to be one of the tentop tourist destinations of the world the Northeast plays a negligible role in the overall
percentage of tourist arrivals in India,
constituting one per cent.
The way most of India tends to view North
East India is as an isolated and homogenous
entity that is at best, exotic and at worst,
unsafe for the layperson who is keen to
explore the region. And unfortunately,officials, intellectuals, scholars, NGO activists
and media persons have not been able to find
a favorable solution to this unsafe tag. In terms
of distance, Delhi is closer to Guwahati than it is
to, say, Bangalore.
Yet the psychological distance is far greater. There could be various reasons forthis. Perhaps, as is sometimes argued, this is a result of the protectionist policies
formulated by the British, seeking to maintain the purity of tribal heritage.
Or it is a consequence of the regions topographical isolation afterIndependence it was connected to the rest of India only by a narrow corridor
between Nepal and Bangladesh.
It is also the unfortunate fall-out of the insurgency that has torn through thisland for decades. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that today our
understanding of the North East is extremely limited.
Even as we discuss it, another issue we tend to overlook is the clubbing of theregion under the umbrella term of Northeast, which is basically a colonialist
categorization that denies individuality to its diverse groups. Instead we tend to
homogenize the region just as we sometimes homogenize the peninsular areasouth of the Vindhyas as South India. Tourism will serve to bring about an
acknowledgement of the diversity of the peoples and cultures within the
Northeastern region.
This leads us to question the role of the media in the Northeast.As far as the
Northeastern region goes, the media tends to focus on ethnic conflicts and under-
development, often neglecting the pioneering developmental efforts made in the region.
In the psyche of the general populace there is the impression that nothing is happening
in the region other than violence by insurgents with a focus on killings, kidnappings andextortions. The oversimplification, overgeneralization and sensationalism with which
Figure 5: Infrastructure- the main issue
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the region is reported have become a norm in national dailies. Besides the media makes
us associate the region with unfamiliar cultural practices which leads us to differentiate
them from us.
Even student-level
interaction in majorIndian universities
has failed to shatter
the stereotypes that
surround those
belonging to this
region. Meanwhile, in
everyday life we tend
to disassociate all that
is familiar about theNortheast the fact
that Arunachal has an ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site; that the Brahmaputra is one of
Indias sacred rivers; that Northeastern cuisine, in the form of thukpas, momos and the
ubiquitous Assam tea, has become a staple across the country which remains hidden
beneath its thick forests and high mountains. An effective way of eroding this
ignorance would be to go there.
Figure 6: Rainbow- North East India
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BRANDING NORTH EAST INDIA
MARKETING & PUBLICITY: UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMATIQUE
This has two aspects-national and international-both of which work within the umbrella
of the regions forward and backward linkages. Southeast Asia holds great prospects for
the Northeast as a market and vice
versa within the ambits of the Indian
Look East Policy (LEP) and the
Vision 2020 document, which deals
with the international facet of
tourism promotion. Also, developing
backward tourism connectivity with other parts of India is as important an element of
strides in tourism as developing links with Southeast Asian countries, which answers to
the national aspect. For this reason, it is important to recognize tourism as a promising
revenue generator.
ROLE OF TOUR OPERATORS
Publicizing the tourism potential of the Northeast to tour operators at both the national
and international levels is crucial because it is they who establish tourist routes and
make these available through packages and such to visitors. It becomes practical for
tourists to travel on pre-packaged plans and gain permission to travel to different areas
through the right channels, instead of going through the rigour of planning personal
holidays.
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
In 2008, the NEC (Northeastern Council) formed the North Eastern States Tourism
Forum (NEST) with representation from the various states to coordinate intra-state and
inter-state tourism plans, such as consolidation of circuits and marketing. Theirmeetings, as suggested on the DoNER website are to be held every quarter. However,
commendable as this exercise is, there is a lack of information in the public sphere
about the content of these meetings, and whether they are even taking place, which is
rather counter-intuitive. Moreover, there is a whole host of information regarding
actionable points and actions taken by the DoNER in its promotion of tourism up on
their website which is sadly outdated (the latest dates back to 2008) and cannot be
corroborated due to the deficiency in public knowledge of these proceedings.
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AUDIO-VISUAL PUBLICITY AND ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPRINT
The audio-visual feature of publicity and its subtle influence on the psychology of the
individual through slogans, films, advertisements and so on can hardly be overstated.
The Vision 2020 document mentions a need for the region to re-brand itself along
these lines; indeed it goes as far as to say that the slogan Paradise Unexplored with
regard to the Northeast inspires instant recall in the mind of an alert traveller. This,
sadly, is far from the truth.
Although all the Northeastern states have competent tourism websites, which are
inevitably the first step in the procurement of information by those interested, they
could certainly be more
user-friendly. As the first
point of contact for a
tourist, a government
tourism website should
have facilities for
accommodation, transport
arrangements and travel
bookings within the state,
or provide direct links to
other websites that provide such services.
For this, models used in other parts of India could provide an excellent starting point.
For instance, the Rajasthan tourism website is available in seven different languagesand the Gujarat website in nine, which immediately amplify their reach. In the same
manner, offering the Northeastern state tourism websites in Southeast Asian languages
would be of assistance in establishing linkages with countries that are in the regions
vicinity. This would also play on
historical cross-border cultural
associations that defy boundaries and
bring in an element of nostalgia and
personal identification, which is an
important trend in heritage tourism, a
key aspect of tourism in the Northeast.
This diaspora-based activity can also
be a catalyst in triggering economic
and infrastructural developments in
the region, thus contributing towards
transforming the Northeast into an
engine of growth.
Tourism is a known dispeller of cultural
bias and the potential for tourism in the Northeastern region is tremendous. The
Ministry of Tourism calls the region a paradise unexplored . Global tourism has been
Figure 7: Online Tourism Portal
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booming and future projections show that this trend will continue. The number of
tourists worldwide is expected to swell to 1.5 billion and receipts from it are estimated
to cross US $ 200 billion. The new generations of cash-rich travelers are increasingly
looking for unique experiences. For these new and growing breed of tourists the
Northeastern states with their variety and uniqueness holds immense attraction. Yet
while Indias share in the world tourist influx is 44 per cent, the Northeasternregions
share is a mere 1.2 percent of that .
SPECIAL PRODUCTS FOR TOURISM
River Cruise Tourism in River Brahmaputra
The Brhmaputra cruise features vidits and attractions such as wildlife viewing (both by
jeep andon elephant back), village walks, tea gardens, exploring country town in
rickshaw rides,barbecues on desertedislands,dance performances and visits to
craftsman shop.
Wildlife and Wilderness arethe main
features of Brahmaputra cruise, uniquesly
targeted at the high end tourists from
Western families and middle ages couples
who can pay at least US 200$ per night, and
make all travel arrangements through tour
operators that are recognised by thegovernment
OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM OF CONNECTIVITY AND BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE
The budget allocation of FY 2011-12 ought to play a significant role in creating
institutional arrangements to provide efficacious ground services at both the
government and private sector levels. The most recent Union budget, announced in
February 2011 by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, has assigned INR 8,000 crore forthe development of the Northeastern region in the
fiscal year 2011-2012, an almost double of the
previous budgetary allocation, and it can be hoped
that a section of it will be invested in tourism
development and produce tangible results. In addition,
the ministry for the development of the Northeastern
region (DoNER) has been allocated INR 1550 crore for
infrastructure development, which is approximately
12 per cent lower than the previous years INR 1,760crore.
Figure 8: RIver Cruise
Figure 9: Infrastructure- Base of the
Tourism Industry
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However, the problem is not of inadequate funds. There is the perennial problem of
funds not reaching their intended recipients, in addition to the worrying gap between
the conceptualization and actualization of the tourism policies of the Northeastern
states. This section will therefore discuss the tools that can facilitate infrastructure-led
tourism development.
INTEGRATED NORTHEAST TOURISM POLICYA combined vision for tourism in the region is arguably the most important element for
its successful implementation, indeed, its centrality is even acknowledged in the
tourism policies of the Northeastern states.
A recognition of intra-state tourism will enable connectivity and communication links as
well as attend to the concern that tourists and tour operators often ignore geographical
demarcations in tourism plans and packages. However, this combined vision also has itsdetractors who believe that it may enhance the enclavization of Assam in joint projects
which would favour the state at the expense of other states in the region.
ABSENCE OF PROPER MARKET STUDIES In 2003, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) commissioned a study to formulate twenty year
perspective plans for a phased sustainable tourism programme on the basis of
availability of resources, with a different perspective plan for each state. The exercise,
however, and its state-wise recommendations seem to have been largely forgotten.
Interactions with the recently instated Tourism
Minister of Assam, Chandan Brahma, revealed that
a market study is in the pipeline, and there are
efforts being made for destination and circuit
development in the state. Actions that replicate
words are the order of the day.
The tourism policies of the Northeastern states by
and large, do not have a targeted tourist niche ormarket and are quite unfocused in that everything from
adventure tourism, to wildlife, tea-garden and World
War II nostalgia tourism are jostling to be considered.
While all of these sectors hold great potential in the region, it is imperative that the
states undertake intelligent analyses of the profile of tourists that visit them and
develop niche efficiency in the sector that seems to attract the most amount of interest.
To thoughtlessly create supply without fully understanding the demand is unwise.
Figure 10: Centralized Focus on the
Seven Sisters
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INVESTMENT PROMOTIONThe Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture recently
recorded that the Northeast was not geared up for tourism Various plans for the up-
gradation of tourist routes, destinations and accommodation were initiated but have yet
to see the light of day. Reports state that domestic investors are agreeable to devoting acollective amount of INR 7000 crore to investments in the region, but are finding land
acquisition difficult to negotiate. Again, this can be contexualized within the assorted
tourism policies.
The most viable investment model for the Northeast is the Public Private Partnership
(PPP) model and efforts in this direction have been well-documented. However, the
advancements do not seem coherent, and political imperatives often mean that these
projects extend indefinitely beyond their deadline or come to a halt altogether with the
vague promise of being revived at some point in the future.
For the public private partnership to succeed, the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model
could be effective, following the precedent set by IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering and
Transport Corporation). IRCTC has proposed to set up budget hotels in the Northeast
based on BOT- a government enterprise would build and operate the premises until
such time as it is ready to hand it over to a private entity. Another major deficit is air
connectivity. Proposals for Greenfield airports in the Northeast have barely taken root
(with the singular exception of the airport at
Pakyong, Sikkim, whose construction is
complete but has yet to be operationalized),and the future of an Open Skies Policy as
introduced by the ASEAN-India Aviation
Cooperation Framework, which could be a
trade and tourism multiplier, is unclear. While
it is unrealistic to expect all the Northeastern
states to have fully operational international
air capabilities, the Ministry of Civil Aviation
can endeavour to improve and develop the
Guwahati airport as a hub for internationaltourism in the region, following the statement
in Assams tourism policy: Guwahati will be developed as a major national and
international air hub.
COMMUNITIZATION Work on integrating tourism circuits should be supplemented by an emergence of rural,
community-based tourism. All versions of the Northeastern states tourism policies
have an identifiable leitmotif: that of sustainable tourism that emphasizes and enhances
community participation.
Figure 11: Guwahati Airport
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Communitization as a concept stresses community participation and a pilot of this will
soon be officially underway in Nagaland once properly legislated. Such programmes
should be given primacy in other states as well because they can empower and motivate
communities to feel personally responsible for the tourism promotion and projection of
the region and areas they belong to.
ADDRESSING THE SECURITY RESTRICTIONS
Tour operators in the Northeast are keen on a review of the Restricted Area Permit
(RAP), Protected Area Permit (PAP) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to promote
tourism, many of which escape revision because due to bureaucratic red-tapism and an
unwillingness to periodically appraise the restrictions. The ILP is required for Indian
citizens who wish to visit Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram; the PAP and the
RAP are applicable to foreign nationals who have to be granted special permission to
travel on recognized routes by the relevant authorities. Some other applicable
conditions are: group travel as opposed to individual, restrictions on the number of
days and travel only on recognized routes. There has also been an expression of interest
in this matter from some government representatives, such as the Parliamentary
Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. A convergence of interests between civil
society and certain sections of the
government is rare, and often
beneficial.
PAP restrictions on Manipur, Mizoram
and Nagaland have been lifted for a
year with effect from 1 January 2011
and there have been reports from
Manipur that already there is a distinct
rise the number of visitors to the state.
Nevertheless, in this case, it would be
wise to first consider whether the
easing or removal of these restrictions
and permits would adversely affect the
security of an individual and of the
region, even though they can quite understandably be a hindrance. In addition, there is
the issue of insurgency and conflict in the Northeast. Statements made to the press by
law and order personnel imply that militancy is on the wane in the Northeast which if
true is of significance, as security is an important cog in the wheel of tourism; it can
have a negative effect on both investments and tourism.
Figure 12: PAP Security Areas in NE India
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FUTURE OF THE UNDISCOVERED PARADISE
With so much to offer its a pity that we continue to see this part of the country as an
undifferentiated mass and dont consider it an essential area to visit. To change this
attitude, the Government, media and NGOs must make a united and concentrated effort
to familiarize the rest of the world with the Northeastern region and vice-versa. It is not
enough that we know about momos and wraparound skirts or that they know about
Bollywood. The exchange has to be at a people to people level without the intrusion of
mental barriers.
With its climate and terrain, North East is not fit for manufacturing industry. Thus
Tourism is the answer to all its problems. North East being a late starter, is a virgin land,
a paradise unexplored and thus the route of Tourism can still be determined. They must
go for Niche Tourism / Quality tourism in order to maintain the freshness of the
conserved land.
The tourism policies of the Northeastern states are extremely well-meaning in their
aims and in their grand-standing. However, despite the collective keenness in tourism
development, the translation of assurances from paper to reality has yet to be realized
and actual results are just as obscure as they were yesterday.
The primary hurdles of
publicity, tools of
infrastructure facilitation
and administrative andsecurity review and
reform ought to be first
taken into consideration
in conjunction with
community participation
for the successful
execution of a dynamic
tourism policy.
The need for a successful
brand of the desination
can only be build if there
is sustained effort from the people and the government. It is very essential to
understand that the success will depend upon the participation of the state, central and
the local governments. The belief in the Indian destinations has to be increased amongst
the citizens. The challenge is marketing to our people because we have not done that job
to the very best. The dynamics of global tourism and the increasing demands from
tourists also requires realignment of our products. Flexibility in our policies, faster
actions, better infrastructure, is a must for the Indian tourism industry.
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REFERENCE
Websites
www.chillebreeze.com
www.travellerblog.com
www.travelguideIndia.com
www.NEvision.com
www.incredibleIndia.com
Journals
1.Marketing the island destination of the future: Ecotourism and eTourism strategic
aspects, by Dr. Dimitrios Buhalis, Dr. Mark Hampton and Prof. Richard Butler,
University of Surrey.
2.Merchandising Mauritius an article from Express Travel & Tourism, Indias TravelBusiness Magazine, Issue dated 1 - 15 December, 2002.
3.Lonely Publications
4.Ministry Reports on Tourism