Mizoram: Government to boost eco-tourism to preserve environment, enhance livelihoods

Aizawl: The Mizoram government has taken up steps to promote eco-tourism in order to boost sustainability, environmental conservation, and livelihoods, as the northeastern state has abundant forest resources, rich and rare flora and fauna, and ideal climatic conditions.

Mizoram Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte stated at a Round Table Discussion at Aijal Club on Monday that the northeastern region has an estimated 28 percent of the country's bamboo resources.

"About 12.8% of the region's total forest area is bamboo, and two-thirds of the growing stock is located in the northeastern states," he said.

According to Royte, the initiative of the state and the Centre would unlock the northeast's largely unexplored eco-tourism potential, particularly in Mizoram. The minister emphasised the importance of promoting responsible tourism, travel, and sustainability, and stated that the state's tourism department had recently framed a policy to that effect known as the Responsible Tourism Policy, 2020.

According to the tourism minister, after the central government announced its Act East Policy, there has been a strategic shift in the world's view of India. He said the Centre is working on several mega projects to improve inter-connectivity within the northeast and with neighbouring countries, with connectivity being a top priority.

The northeastern states will become the main gateway for South East Asia as a result of India's policy, according to Royte. Mizoram Chief Secretary Renu Sharma stated that the state tourism department is developing and implementing various tourism activities in order to turn Mizoram into an eco-tourism destination while preserving environmental sustainability.

She emphasised that eco-tourism is being promoted in Mizoram as a way of adding value to nature and achieving sustainable tourism. She described ecotourism as a type of tourism that promotes environmental principles by emphasising visiting and observing natural areas that are relatively unaffected by human activities. She hoped that ecotourism would create jobs for the local community, allowing a shift away from unsustainable practices and toward environmentally sensitive ecosystems.

According to MNF legislator F. Lalnunmawia, a pilot project on a bamboo link road, the first of its kind in the country, sanctioned by the Centre and initiated by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, will connect Mizoram's bamboo potential areas with all-weather roads.

However, due to problems such as bamboo harvesting and transportation, poor road connectivity, and a lack of technology and industrial infrastructure for value addition of raw bamboo resources, a large portion of the bamboo resources remains untapped and unutilised, he said.

The Round Table Discussion on "Untapped Eco-Tourism Potential" included Tourism Director V. Lalengmawia, experts in the field of eco-tourism such as Aditi Raval, an award-winning media personality, Zoliana Chhakchhuak, President, Association of Tour Operators Mizoram, and Lalhruaitluanga, President, Travel Agent Association of Mizoram (TAAM), among others.