Dimapur, October 13 (MExN): The National People's Party (NPP), Nagaland State Unit, has urged the State Government to introduce a Summer Festival to complement the popular Hornbill Festival and promote year-round tourism.
In a statement issued on Monday, the party highlighted that while the Hornbill Festival in December has positioned Nagaland as a premier cultural destination, tourism in the State remains largely seasonal. This not only limits economic opportunities to a short period in the year but also results in neglect of roads and infrastructure until the next tourist season, it observed.
The proposed Summer Festival is envisioned to ensure a more balanced inflow of visitors throughout the year, thereby encouraging continuous maintenance of infrastructure. The statement pointed to the success of other North Eastern states like Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Assam, which witness significant tourism-driven income even during the summer months. ‘Introducing a Summer Festival in Nagaland will attract more visitors during this period, boosting the State’s economy and creating greater self-employment opportunities for youth, which is the need of the hour,’ it said.
The party outlined that a Summer Festival would ensures a steady flow of visitors, reducing seasonality; Roads and facilities maintained regularly in view of consistent tourist activity; artisans, entrepreneurs, home stays, transporters, and performers get double the opportunities to earn livelihoods. It also added that while the Hornbill focuses on winter celebrations, a Summer Festival could highlight agriculture, eco-tourism, monsoon festivities, and Christian-centered spiritual gatherings.
The NPP also advocated for decentralizing the festival events to districts beyond Kohima to ensure inclusive growth across Nagaland.
Suggested activities include trekking, fishing, bird-watching, organic food and indigenous cuisine fairs; monsoon music concerts and youth talent showcases; traditional games and inter-tribal sports competitions. Also faith-based prayer and healing sessions such as revival meetings, counseling, and sharing of testimonies; and inter-church gospel concerts, indigenous-style worship programs, and youth gatherings to strengthen unity, peace, and Christian values.
The NPP Nagaland stated that establishing a Summer Festival would not only make Nagaland a year-round tourist destination and enhance livelihoods but also reaffirm the state's Christian identity. “This initiative will not only contribute to sustained economic growth but also uplift the moral and spiritual fabric of society.”
It appealed to the Government of Nagaland to consider this proposal with utmost priority for the larger interest of the people and for the continued promotion of Nagaland as a global tourism hotspot rooted in its Christian ethos.
