Rural Tourism in Nagaland, India: Exploring the Potential

Abstract

Nagaland is a land of 1,317 recognized villages, out of which 1,278 are inhabited by 16 different tribes. Every tribe has distinct customs, language and dress. It is a land of festivals with every tribe celebrating its festival in different months all through the year. The topography of the state is mostly hilly and people practice jhum cultivation except for a pocket of terrace cultivation practiced in the foothills. Varieties of rich flora and fauna are found in the hilly forests of the state. Being located on the map as a world bio-diversity hotspot, the state has rich potential for rural tourism. However, the resources in the state are not fully and properly explored and the inflow of tourists in 2008 was only 22,348 (21,129 domestic and 1,219 foreign). Thus, an attempt was made to highlight the hidden resources of rural tourism in the state and suggest ways out of it by undertaking a case study of the Wokha district of the state inhibited by the Lotha Tribe.