NMIMS University

Branding North East India

TABLE OF CONTENTS
NORTH EAST WONDERS ..................................................................................................... 4 CHALLENGES IN THE ROADWAY .................................................................................... 6 BRANDING NORTH EAST INDIA ...................................................................................... 8 MARKETING & PUBLICITY: UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMATIQUE .... 8 Role of tour operators .................................................................................................... 8 SPECIAL PRODUCTS FOR TOURISM ...................................................................... 10 OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM OF CONNECTIVITY AND BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................................................... 10 ADDRESSING THE SECURITY RESTRICTIONS ...................................................... 13 FUTURE of the UNDISCOVERED PARADISE .............................................................. 14 REFERENCE............................................................................................................................. 15

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DESTINATION NORTH-EAST INDIA!

The travelling spirit of man has survived the centuries. In history there were cases recorded, which tell the tale of mans traveling throughout the centuries. Since the early historical period, traveling is a fascination for man. Travel tours in the distant past, however were made, for the purpose of pleasure as the concept of seeking a vacation from work was not prevalent in such a situation. However there is a significant change in the way tourism can be seen today. Our holidays are not limited to domestic destinations, but a growing number of people opting for overseas destinations. In India, people are moving out of the country for exploring the foreign destinations over the high seas in huge numbers. It comes as a surprise to me that while we have a large number of destinations in our own country that are covered all over India, with a wide variety of offerings, but the interest still lingers in international destination? One reason why Indians have made such a choice is the loss of faith in BRAND INDIA. Another reason is that we are not able to explore and use the potential of many places that are presumed to be distant. Northeast India has the potential to become the hub of the Indian tourism industry.With the pristine mountains, tea gardens, rivers and traditional culture which is as fresh and elegant as it has always been, it has everything you need to be a world class tourist paradise. People often describe the Figure 1: Tea Garden(Darjeling) North East as a BACKWATER- I would like to think of it as a gateway to WILD FRONTIER. Only tenuously connected to the rest of India, Sikkim and Seven Sisters- the states of Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur- are a world apart from Indian Plains. The WILD EAST of India where a string of Adivasi socities have had their way of life protected by impregnable jungles, densely forested hills and the curtain wall of Himalayas. In language, culture and attitude, the people of the north eastern end follow the example of both Tibet and Southeast Asia, as much as the rest of India. It was still a distant land cast, even during the reign of Mongols and the British.
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The entrance to this little-explored region is through the fascinating city of Kolkata, which happens to be Indias fourth largest city. From this high speed-frivolous city, one can escape in to the a totally different India, which is rustic in its ways all though thinking is advanced, where adventures lurk at the end of the dirt road and where foreign travelers are still news. Despite offering such a unique and diverse proposition, the area is strangled due to its controversial geo-political history. People here are very concerned about their safety and security from the cross border activities and also the various indigenous groups. The Northeast is still one of the largest regions of the country which have yet not developed. The trauma of partition in 1947 has not only diluted the speed of their economic progress but has also taken them behind in time as compared to the other part of the nation. But now people in the region have become more ambitious due to which the vision of 2020 was framed by 2020, they aspire to see their region emerge peaceful, strong, confident, and ready to engage with the global economy. They would like to march on the path of economic, social and cultural progress towards prosperity and well-being.

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NORTH EAST WONDERS

The whole area presents a huge potential for tourism, which is waiting to be tapped, high literacy, particularly in states like Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur (who are over the amount of literacy than the national average), low density of population (the population is 3.79% of the population, but its geographical area is about 8%), moderately high standards of health and a healthy climate, are important strengths of the region. The fact that the people of these countries are familiar with the English will make even better equipped for international tourism.
Figure 2: Jungle-Monastry-Hills-Rivers

The North Eastern region has 64% forest cover, an ecological asset (19.39% of the area in India is estimated under forest cover) For those who have been identified environmental "hot spots" in the world. Relative difficult area has helped to preserve its pristine natural beauty, its variety of plants and animals, wild orchids, bamboo varieties of rare medicinal plants and rare one-horned rhinoceros whose only habitat in this area. Therefore, a fashionable concept of ecotourism is easy acceptance here. It is a two way process, where tourists and tour operators will help to strengthen the environment, while the local environment and to provide resources and support to a very nice holiday. Northeast Area is a huge differences in culture and lifestyle. However, very different may have a deterrent effect. The area has so much variety, it is difficult for potential tourists to decide where to go and what to watch. So tourism is responsible for creating specific routes, or aimed at private customers. City of Shillong, for example, has the opportunity to become another Mcleodganj and Dalhousie. His laid-back charm and colonial architecture, cafes, and young rock Figure 3: Assam Bihu Dance bands, and pleasant walks in the surrounding area a special appeal to young travelers or couples, honeymoon

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There is great potential for development and adventure tourism, either in white water rafting and fishing or hiking in Assam, Arunachal. Those who are looking for an adrenaline is a lot to do with their time and money. Another possibility is to develop the pilgrimages. There are countless Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples in the area, such as the Tawang Monastery 400 years old and medieval Kamakhya Temple. Spiritual tourism is well known that a lot of tourists from around the world. Another type of tourist - and the fashion designers, for example - you can find round Mizoram craft centers more attractive. State sarongs and scarves and bamboo, and models are excellent. The benefits of tourist revenue to more than one. Be the workforce, which can create jobs and ensure that benefits are shared by a large number of service providers, accommodation, food and drink, crafts, local transportation, guides, shopping, entertainment, photography, etc.. In addition, tourism allows for decentralized regional development. Northeast diversity of Figure 4: Mizoram Craft needs and desires of the individual tribes, makes decentralized development is particularly important. Tourism is also to ensure that development is a city-centric.

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CHALLENGES IN THE ROADWAY

The Vision 2020 document released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008 for the Northeastern region earmarks infrastructure-led tourism development as one of the primary hopefuls for revenue generation. Although India is touted to be one of the ten top tourist destinations of the world the Northeast plays a negligible role in the overall percentage of tourist arrivals in India, constituting one per cent. The way most of India tends to view North East India is as an isolated and homogenous entity that is at best, exotic and at worst, unsafe for the layperson who is keen to explore the region. And unfortunately, officials, intellectuals, scholars, NGO activists and media persons have not been able to find a favorable solution to this unsafe tag. In terms of distance, Delhi is closer to Guwahati than it is

Figure 5: Infrastructure- the main issue

to, say, Bangalore. Yet the psychological distance is far greater. There could be various reasons for this. Perhaps, as is sometimes argued, this is a result of the protectionist policies formulated by the British, seeking to maintain the purity of tribal heritage. Or it is a consequence of the regions topographical isolation after Independence it was connected to the rest of India only by a narrow corridor between Nepal and Bangladesh. It is also the unfortunate fall-out of the insurgency that has torn through this land for decades. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that today our understanding of the North East is extremely limited. Even as we discuss it, another issue we tend to overlook is the clubbing of the region under the umbrella term of Northeast, which is basically a colonialist categorization that denies individuality to its diverse groups. Instead we tend to homogenize the region just as we sometimes homogenize the peninsular area south of the Vindhyas as South India. Tourism will serve to bring about an acknowledgement of the diversity of the peoples and cultures within the Northeastern region.

This leads us to question the role of the media in the Northeast. As far as the Northeastern region goes, the media tends to focus on ethnic conflicts and underdevelopment, often neglecting the pioneering developmental efforts made in the region. In the psyche of the general populace there is the impression that nothing is happening in the region other than violence by insurgents with a focus on killings, kidnappings and extortions. The oversimplification, overgeneralization and sensationalism with which
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the region is reported have become a norm in national dailies. Besides the media makes us associate the region with unfamiliar cultural practices which leads us to differentiate them from us. Even student-level interaction in major Indian universities has failed to shatter the stereotypes that surround those belonging to this region. Meanwhile, in everyday life we tend to disassociate all that is familiar about the Northeast the fact Figure 6: Rainbow- North East India that Arunachal has an ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site; that the Brahmaputra is one of Indias sacred rivers; that Northeastern cuisine, in the form of thukpas, momos and the ubiquitous Assam tea, has become a staple across the country which remains hidden beneath its thick forests and high mountains. An effective way of eroding this ignorance would be to go there.

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BRANDING NORTH EAST INDIA

MARKETING & PUBLICITY: UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMATIQUE This has two aspects-national and international-both of which work within the umbrella of the regions forward and backward linkages. Southeast Asia holds great prospects for the Northeast as a market and vice versa within the ambits of the Indian Look East Policy (LEP) and the Vision 2020 document, which deals with the international facet of tourism promotion. Also, developing backward tourism connectivity with other parts of India is as important an element of strides in tourism as developing links with Southeast Asian countries, which answers to the national aspect. For this reason, it is important to recognize tourism as a promising revenue generator.

ROLE OF TOUR OPERATORS Publicizing the tourism potential of the Northeast to tour operators at both the national and international levels is crucial because it is they who establish tourist routes and make these available through packages and such to visitors. It becomes practical for tourists to travel on pre-packaged plans and gain permission to travel to different areas through the right channels, instead of going through the rigour of planning personal holidays.

DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION In 2008, the NEC (Northeastern Council) formed the North Eastern States Tourism Forum (NEST) with representation from the various states to coordinate intra-state and inter-state tourism plans, such as consolidation of circuits and marketing. Their meetings, as suggested on the DoNER website are to be held every quarter. However, commendable as this exercise is, there is a lack of information in the public sphere about the content of these meetings, and whether they are even taking place, which is rather counter-intuitive. Moreover, there is a whole host of information regarding actionable points and actions taken by the DoNER in its promotion of tourism up on their website which is sadly outdated (the latest dates back to 2008) and cannot be corroborated due to the deficiency in public knowledge of these proceedings.

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AUDIO-VISUAL PUBLICITY AND ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPRINT The audio-visual feature of publicity and its subtle influence on the psychology of the individual through slogans, films, advertisements and so on can hardly be overstated. The Vision 2020 document mentions a need for the region to re-brand itself along these lines; indeed it goes as far as to say that the slogan Paradise Unexplored with regard to the Northeast inspires instant recall in the mind of an alert traveller. This, sadly, is far from the truth. Although all the Northeastern states have competent tourism websites, which are inevitably the first step in the procurement of information by those interested, they could certainly be more user-friendly. As the first point of contact for a tourist, a government tourism website should have facilities for accommodation, transport arrangements and travel bookings within the state, or provide direct links to other websites that provide such services. For this, models used in other parts of India could provide an excellent starting point. For instance, the Rajasthan tourism website is available in seven different languages and the Gujarat website in nine, which immediately amplify their reach. In the same manner, offering the Northeastern state tourism websites in Southeast Asian languages would be of assistance in establishing linkages with countries that are in the regions vicinity. This would also play on historical cross-border cultural associations that defy boundaries and bring in an element of nostalgia and personal identification, which is an important trend in heritage tourism, a key aspect of tourism in the Northeast. This diaspora-based activity can also be a catalyst in triggering economic and infrastructural developments in the region, thus contributing towards transforming the Northeast into an Figure 7: Online Tourism Portal engine of growth. Tourism is a known dispeller of cultural bias and the potential for tourism in the Northeastern region is tremendous. The Ministry of Tourism calls the region a paradise unexplored. Global tourism has been
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booming and future projections show that this trend will continue. The number of tourists worldwide is expected to swell to 1.5 billion and receipts from it are estimated to cross US $ 200 billion. The new generations of cash-rich travelers are increasingly looking for unique experiences. For these new and growing breed of tourists the Northeastern states with their variety and uniqueness holds immense attraction. Yet while Indias share in the world tourist influx is 44 per cent, the Northeastern regions share is a mere 1.2 percent of that .

SPECIAL PRODUCTS FOR TOURISM River Cruise Tourism in River Brahmaputra The Brhmaputra cruise features vidits and attractions such as wildlife viewing (both by jeep andon elephant back), village walks, tea gardens, exploring country town in rickshaw rides,barbecues on deserted islands,dance performances and visits to craftsman shop. Wildlife and Wilderness arethe main features of Brahmaputra cruise, uniquesly targeted at the high end tourists from Western families and middle ages couples who can pay at least US 200$ per night, and make all travel arrangements through tour operators that are recognised by the Figure 8: RIver Cruise government

OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM OF CONNECTIVITY AND BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE The budget allocation of FY 2011-12 ought to play a significant role in creating institutional arrangements to provide efficacious ground services at both the government and private sector levels. The most recent Union budget, announced in February 2011 by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, has assigned INR 8,000 crore for the development of the Northeastern region in the fiscal year 2011-2012, an almost double of the previous budgetary allocation, and it can be hoped that a section of it will be invested in tourism development and produce tangible results. In addition, the ministry for the development of the Northeastern region (DoNER) has been allocated INR 1550 crore for infrastructure development, which is approximately 12 per cent lower than the previous years INR 1,760 crore.
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Figure 9: Infrastructure- Base of the Tourism Industry

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However, the problem is not of inadequate funds. There is the perennial problem of funds not reaching their intended recipients, in addition to the worrying gap between the conceptualization and actualization of the tourism policies of the Northeastern states. This section will therefore discuss the tools that can facilitate infrastructure-led tourism development.

INTEGRATED NORTHEAST TOURISM POLICY A combined vision for tourism in the region is arguably the most important element for its successful implementation, indeed, its centrality is even acknowledged in the tourism policies of the Northeastern states. A recognition of intra-state tourism will enable connectivity and communication links as well as attend to the concern that tourists and tour operators often ignore geographical demarcations in tourism plans and packages. However, this combined vision also has its detractors who believe that it may enhance the enclavization of Assam in joint projects which would favour the state at the expense of other states in the region.

ABSENCE OF PROPER MARKET STUDIES In 2003, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) commissioned a study to formulate twenty year perspective plans for a phased sustainable tourism programme on the basis of availability of resources, with a different perspective plan for each state. The exercise, however, and its state-wise recommendations seem to have been largely forgotten. Interactions with the recently instated Tourism Minister of Assam, Chandan Brahma, revealed that a market study is in the pipeline, and there are efforts being made for destination and circuit development in the state. Actions that replicate words are the order of the day. The tourism policies of the Northeastern states by and large, do not have a targeted tourist niche or market and are quite unfocused in that everything from Figure 10: Centralized Focus on the Seven Sisters adventure tourism, to wildlife, tea-garden and World War II nostalgia tourism are jostling to be considered. While all of these sectors hold great potential in the region, it is imperative that the states undertake intelligent analyses of the profile of tourists that visit them and develop niche efficiency in the sector that seems to attract the most amount of interest. To thoughtlessly create supply without fully understanding the demand is unwise.

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INVESTMENT PROMOTION The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture recently recorded that the Northeast was not geared up for tourism Various plans for the upgradation of tourist routes, destinations and accommodation were initiated but have yet to see the light of day. Reports state that domestic investors are agreeable to devoting a collective amount of INR 7000 crore to investments in the region, but are finding land acquisition difficult to negotiate. Again, this can be contexualized within the assorted tourism policies. The most viable investment model for the Northeast is the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and efforts in this direction have been well-documented. However, the advancements do not seem coherent, and political imperatives often mean that these projects extend indefinitely beyond their deadline or come to a halt altogether with the vague promise of being revived at some point in the future. For the public private partnership to succeed, the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model could be effective, following the precedent set by IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering and Transport Corporation). IRCTC has proposed to set up budget hotels in the Northeast based on BOT- a government enterprise would build and operate the premises until such time as it is ready to hand it over to a private entity. Another major deficit is air connectivity. Proposals for Greenfield airports in the Northeast have barely taken root (with the singular exception of the airport at Pakyong, Sikkim, whose construction is complete but has yet to be operationalized), and the future of an Open Skies Policy as introduced by the ASEAN-India Aviation Cooperation Framework, which could be a trade and tourism multiplier, is unclear. While it is unrealistic to expect all the Northeastern states to have fully operational international air capabilities, the Ministry of Civil Aviation can endeavour to improve and develop the Figure 11: Guwahati Airport Guwahati airport as a hub for international tourism in the region, following the statement in Assams tourism policy: Guwahati will be developed as a major national and international air hub. COMMUNITIZATION Work on integrating tourism circuits should be supplemented by an emergence of rural, community-based tourism. All versions of the Northeastern states tourism policies have an identifiable leitmotif: that of sustainable tourism that emphasizes and enhances community participation.
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Communitization as a concept stresses community participation and a pilot of this will soon be officially underway in Nagaland once properly legislated. Such programmes should be given primacy in other states as well because they can empower and motivate communities to feel personally responsible for the tourism promotion and projection of the region and areas they belong to.

ADDRESSING THE SECURITY RESTRICTIONS Tour operators in the Northeast are keen on a review of the Restricted Area Permit (RAP), Protected Area Permit (PAP) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) to promote tourism, many of which escape revision because due to bureaucratic red-tapism and an unwillingness to periodically appraise the restrictions. The ILP is required for Indian citizens who wish to visit Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram; the PAP and the RAP are applicable to foreign nationals who have to be granted special permission to travel on recognized routes by the relevant authorities. Some other applicable conditions are: group travel as opposed to individual, restrictions on the number of days and travel only on recognized routes. There has also been an expression of interest in this matter from some government representatives, such as the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. A convergence of interests between civil society and certain sections of the government is rare, and often beneficial. PAP restrictions on Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have been lifted for a year with effect from 1 January 2011 and there have been reports from Manipur that already there is a distinct rise the number of visitors to the state. Nevertheless, in this case, it would be wise to first consider whether the easing or removal of these restrictions Figure 12: PAP Security Areas in NE India and permits would adversely affect the security of an individual and of the region, even though they can quite understandably be a hindrance. In addition, there is the issue of insurgency and conflict in the Northeast. Statements made to the press by law and order personnel imply that militancy is on the wane in the Northeast which if true is of significance, as security is an important cog in the wheel of tourism; it can have a negative effect on both investments and tourism.

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FUTURE OF THE UNDISCOVERED PARADISE

With so much to offer its a pity that we continue to see this part of the country as an undifferentiated mass and dont consider it an essential area to visit. To change this attitude, the Government, media and NGOs must make a united and concentrated effort to familiarize the rest of the world with the Northeastern region and vice-versa. It is not enough that we know about momos and wraparound skirts or that they know about Bollywood. The exchange has to be at a people to people level without the intrusion of mental barriers. With its climate and terrain, North East is not fit for manufacturing industry. Thus Tourism is the answer to all its problems. North East being a late starter, is a virgin land, a paradise unexplored and thus the route of Tourism can still be determined. They must go for Niche Tourism / Quality tourism in order to maintain the freshness of the conserved land. The tourism policies of the Northeastern states are extremely well-meaning in their aims and in their grand-standing. However, despite the collective keenness in tourism development, the translation of assurances from paper to reality has yet to be realized and actual results are just as obscure as they were yesterday. The primary hurdles of publicity, tools of infrastructure facilitation and administrative and security review and reform ought to be first taken into consideration in conjunction with community participation for the successful execution of a dynamic tourism policy. The need for a successful brand of the desination can only be build if there is sustained effort from the people and the government. It is very essential to understand that the success will depend upon the participation of the state, central and the local governments. The belief in the Indian destinations has to be increased amongst the citizens. The challenge is marketing to our people because we have not done that job to the very best. The dynamics of global tourism and the increasing demands from tourists also requires realignment of our products. Flexibility in our policies, faster actions, better infrastructure, is a must for the Indian tourism industry.

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REFERENCE
Websites
www.chillebreeze.com www.travellerblog.com www.travelguideIndia.com www.NEvision.com www.incredibleIndia.com

Journals
1.Marketing the island destination of the future: Ecotourism and eTourism strategic aspects, by Dr. Dimitrios Buhalis, Dr. Mark Hampton and Prof. Richard Butler, University of Surrey. 2. Merchandising Mauritius an article from Express Travel & Tourism, Indias Travel Business Magazine, Issue dated 1 - 15 December, 2002. 3.Lonely Publications 4.Ministry Reports on Tourism

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