“When thousands of international tourists spend huge amount each year in India just for visiting the famous Taj Mahal, why should Manipur worry for tourism when it has the Loktak Lake. It is the key for tourism development in the state,” said Supratim Raj Basu, Director of Help Tourism, Kolkata on Thursday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a training programme organised by Help Tourism, Kolkata in association with Loktak Eco-Tourism Development Organisation, Thanga under the theme ‘Home Stay and Destination Tourism Development’. Speaking on the occasion, Basu said there is no reason why Loktak could not attract international tourists when Taj Mahal could. Stating that connectivity is the main factor to bring in tourists, he said Moirang could always attract a number of international tourists with the Loktak Lake given that government takes proper initiative to improve connectivity. Moirang is the place where Netaji Shubhashchandra Bose hoisted the Indian tricolour during WW2. History itself tells that Moirang has good connectivity since early times. Moreover, Manipur lies amidst the most important surface roads and water ways of Asia.
He said that culture and custom are the main factors in the study of rural tourism, and the rich culture of the state will be the main attraction of international tourist when paired with the Loktak Lake. Such tourists from major cities across the world take people in such tourist destinations as healers as they get the opportunity to escape from their chaotic situation in the cities and ease up their minds for a bit. Unlike other industries, tourism is a unique relationship of love and respect between the tourists, who are the guests and the people of the area, who are the homeowners.
With the development of rural tourism, people of the area could get new insight of development and improve their socio-economic conditions. There is no need to spend much finance in rural tourism. The only thing that matters is that people should respect the guests and welcome them with warm hearts. Moreover, they should strive to make the tourists feel that they are staying at their home while staying in the tourist destinations, he said.
He also said that the training will provide basic knowledge of maintaining peaceful and warm environment for the tourists and the manners to be shown towards the tourists.
Social activist RK Shivachandra, who also attended thefunction appealed to the people of Thanga to come forward and take the foremost role in developing the economy of the state as well as Moirang. With the Loktak Lake, there is no need for the state to live in desperate economic situation. It is high time for the state to develop tourism industries and bring sound development in the state in line with the Look East Policy. The most unfortunate incident, the lake ever faced was the multicrore scam of Loktak Lake clearing project, which does not have any effective result in the condition of the lake, he lamented.
Loktak Eco-tourism Development Organisation, Thanga general secretary Ak Biren and Sishir Adhikari from Guwahati also attended the occasion.
