Arunachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Chowna Mein has proposed creation of a ‘Tai tourist circuit’ to lure visitors to Northeast India from the South East Asian countries including Thailand, considering the religious and cultural similarities between the two regions.
Speaking at the second edition of North East India Festival 2022 at Bangkok in Thailand, Mein said that once created, the Tai tourist circuit, apart from the Buddhist circuit in the region, will attract devotees and Tai tourists from the South East Asian countries, including Thailand, to the Northeast region.
Highlighting some interesting facts about Arunachal Pradesh, Mein informed that the state has lots to offer to tourists in terms of adventure tourism, wildlife tourism, spiritual tourism, ecological tourism, cultural/rural tourism and leisure tourism because of its fastest free-flowing rivers and high terrains, rich biodiversity, dense forests with unique flora & fauna, diverse cultures and scenic beauties.
DyCM Chowna Mein further said that the 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes of the state with their own distinct cultures and traditions celebrate numbers of festivals round the year making it a land of festivals and colourful dances where one can experienced different kinds of tribal cultures and taste different local cuisines.
For leisure activities, Arunachal Pradesh offers some of the most picturesque locations, one can spend holidays and do sight-seeing, nature walk, local market shopping, snowfall experience, camping, and road trips, he informed.
Speaking on the religious & cultural similarities, Mein said that Buddhism spread across the length and breadth of the state with Mahayana Buddhism in western Arunachal like Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila and central part of Arunachal like Taksing, Mechuka and Tuting and Theravada Buddhism at Namsai and Changlang districts in eastern part has its deep similarities with people of Thailand and South East Asian countries.
He further said that apart from 400 years old Tawang Gompa of Gelukpa Sect and 400 years old Gompa at Mechukha of Ningmapa Sect, Kongmukham (Golden Pagoda) in Namsai district has become a popular tourist destination. Thousands of people mostly Theravada Buddhist devotees especially Thai tourists visit this place every year. Thai Monks and Nuns spent their three months lent period at Kongmukham.
“It has also become a holy site for Mega Sangken (Sangkram) Festivals were 10,000-20,000 people from different parts of the state come to take part during Sangken Festival,” DyCM Chowna Mein said.
Mein further stated that apart from investment in tourism and industry, Arunachal Pradesh has huge scope for investment in agriculture technology, agro-food processing industries and in hydropower sectors because of the large-scale production of good quality agriculture products like ginger, turmeric, large cardamom, oranges and kiwi, etc and its capacity to generate more than 50,000 MW of hydropower.
While asserting that the state government is committed to make Arunachal Pradesh an ideal investment destination, he said the government is ready to provide single window clearance and necessary approvals in a time bound manner to investors.
