827 tourists visit insurgency-hit Longding district of Arunachal in November

Itanagar, Dec 31: In an encouraging sign, insurgency-affected Longding district, located in the easternmost part of Arunachal Pradesh, registered a total of 827 tourist arrivals during November this year.

According to the monthly tourist arrival report shared by Longding District Tourism Officer TK Kopak, of the total visitors, 803 were domestic visitors and 24 were foreign tourists.

Highlighting the tourism potential of the district, Kopak said Longding has rich natural beauty, historical sites, diverse ecosystems, and a moderate climate during the summer season. “Above all, the district has a deeply rooted and vibrant Wancho cultural heritage, which holds immense potential for cultural tourism,” he said.

The Tourism Officer described the steady increase in tourist arrivals as a positive sign for the State’s tourism sector and noted that it would help boost the local economy.

Kopak further informed that after assuming office, he organised a reconnaissance trip to Senua village, located about 2 km from Longding town, with the help of local youths to assess its suitability for future tourism events.

During the visit, several potential tourist sites were identified, including Longpan Kho (a viewpoint atop the village), Kun (a huge rock cape), Zak Tikhot (a natural freshwater stream emerging from rocks) and Paannu Paan-sa-sho (rocky passages).

The Tourism Officer also recently trekked to the Hornbill Waterfall at Khogla village, organised a bike rally on the occasion of World Tourism Day, and visited Wakka village to assess its tourism potential.

A senior police official stated that there have been no reports of tourists facing any problems in the district so far.

Earlier this year, Kaimoi village was conferred the ‘Best Tourism Village Award’ by the State Tourism Department on the occasion of the World Tourism Day.

The achievement was attributed to the collective efforts of the village leadership led by then ZPM Rajiv Wangsa, the Women’s Society of Kaimoi, the Kaimoi Village Students’ Union and the villagers, with guidance from the PHE and Water Supply departments and the District Tourism Office.

In 2022, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs notified Dibrugarh-Deomali-Hukanjuri-Khonsa in Tirap district and Dibrugarh-Kanubari-Longding in Longding district as new tourist circuits, taking the total number of tourist circuits in Arunachal Pradesh to 14.