The document discusses developing tourism potential in North East India through various solutions. It proposes (1) bridging the gap between problems like lack of awareness, infrastructure and perception issues through responsible tourism practices and common management of stakeholders, and (2) developing economic hubs focused on agriculture, handicrafts and tourism in specific locations to boost local industries, generate employment and income, and facilitate market linkages both within and outside the region. A third solution discusses creating focus crop groups in various states based on their advantages and developing them along with tourism to bring holistic growth. Developing infrastructure and awareness through campaigns can boost tourism, which can then fund further development in a virtuous cycle.

1. MONOJ KUMAR RABHA
Goalpara, Assam
BAHNIMAN RYNJAH
Guwahati, Assam
TEIDOR LYNGDOH
Shillong, Meghalaya
PANII NGAONII
Senapati, Manipur
SAUMARJIT KONWAR
Guwahati, Assam
Team Highlanders, IIM Kozhikode
SUNRISE STATESREALIZING THE GROWTH POTENTIAL OF NORTH EAST

2. 2. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
The Sunrise States of India
Famous for…
 Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary
 Manas National Park
 Keibul Lamjao National Park
 Mawlynnong: Asia’s cleanest Village
 Loktak lake: The only floating lake
 Mawsynram: The wettest place on earth
 Dziikou valley
 Tawang: Border town with China
 Majuli: largest riverine island in the world
 Rumtek Monastery
 Nathula pass
 Ujjayanta Palace
INTERESTING facts
 Eastern most states in India
 Area: 2,55,168 sq km
 Population: 40 million (3.8 % of the total
population of the country)
 220 ethnic groups and equal number of
dialects makes it a hugely diverse region
 Religion: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism,
Christianity
 220 Languages spoken
 Literacy rate: 68.5%, higher than national
average of 64.8 %
What makes them so IMPORTANT?
 North East India, part of Indo-Burma 'hotspot'
 Out of the 9 important vegetation types of India,
6 are found in the North Eastern region
 Treasure trove to eco-tourists, bio-
conservationists, sociologist
 Holds a strategic point in connecting India with
South east Asian countries
 Huge natural resources: oil, natural gas, coal,
uranium etc...
 Hydro- electric power: potential to generate
70,000 MW
 Agriculture & Forestry is the bedrock
 Prospects in Horticulture and food processing
 Thousands of flora and fauna
Arunachal Pradesh | Assam | Manipur | Meghalaya | Mizoram | Nagaland | Sikkim | Tripura
Way ahead...
What can be done to realize the
potential for tourism growth in
the region?
Always GOOD
 The exotic wildlife
 Gamut of adventure tourism options
 Beautiful hill stations
 Cultural melting pot
 The delicious cuisines
 The colorful festivals
 Folk music & dance
 Tribal tourism
 World famous tea
 Religious conglomeration

3. 3. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
3
Problems facing north east India
Methodology
• A survey was floated to gauge the general awareness of people (naming the 8
states, their capitals, their specialties etc.) about north east India and its tourist
destinations
Responses
• A total of 210 responses were recorded
• Helped identify major factors that impede development of tourism in North East
The Problem Triangle- Identification of major factors
Results
Hampers
tourism
Awareness
Perception
Infrastructure
Misconception: Problems of terrorism wide spread in many
places in north east India-not a safe tourist destination
Inadequate hard and soft infrastructure
Less awareness about tourist hot spots
Yes
37%
No
63%
Knowledge of the states of North East
Cluster of tourist places
people are aware of
Cluster of tourist places
about which awareness
is less
Kaziranga National Park
Cherrapunji-Mawsynram
Tawang
Gangtok
Shillong
Sacred Forests of
Mawphlang
Hornbill Festival
War Cemetery
Pobitora National Park
Orang National Park
Khecheopalri Lake
Major Attractions Blind Spots
Need to integrate both-
Cluster Tourism
The region is connected to the rest of
India by a narrow stretch called the
‘Chicken’s neck” , needs infrastructure
to support and ensure significant
investments and development aids
0
50
100
150
200
Visit O/L platform for tour informationInquires about tourist places from agents
Noof
respondents
Media Platform v/s Tour Agents
Yes
No
Need to
leverage on
Media
platforms
Concerns about
law and order
issues, the need
for permits and
limited
infrastructure
are the main
hindrances

4. 4. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Tourism in north east India: an analysis
Why tourism ?
 Takes into account various stakeholders
 Impacts social, cultural, political and economic values
 Gateway to South East Asian Countries: international borders with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh,…
 United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) study reveals that tourism:
• contributes to 9% of Global GDP, which means tourism can generate enough of opportunity in NE which is self sustainable
• plays a big role in generating employment – 1/12th of all jobs can be created directly by tourism
• encourage exports – authentic local products can be exported to the rest of India and even to neighbouring countries
Strengths
Rich in biodiversity
Strong heritage and culture
Plethora of scenic places within small
geographic distance
High literacy rate
High social capital
Opportunities
Growth of international tourism due to
strategic location
Boost for allied sectors-agriculture,
handicrafts, etc.
Development of medical, educational, spiritual
tourism
International trade development due
to location
Weaknesses
Lack of infrastructural facilities
Lack of business acumen/exposure to best
practices
Non-availability of skilled manpower for
development of allied sectors
Negative perception of law and order situation
Threats
Negative perception may hinder
development of tourism
Separatist movements
Corruption
Uncertainty in development of external trade
SWOT analysis of
tourism scenario
in north east India
Economic SocialPolitical
•Stable political climate
•Existence of grass-root
level administration
•Corruption
•Infrastructure bottlenecks
•Lack of industries
•Entrepreneurially
backward
•High social capital
•Improved law and order
•Separatist movements
EnvironmentalLegalTechnological
•No concrete measures
to conserve human
capital
•Need to develop IT
infrastructure and e-
platforms
•Appropriate legal
frameworks
•Community based rules
and regulations
•Strong awareness
•Joint forestry
management schemes
PESTLE Analysis: Tourism in NE India
The region has favourable legal and environmental set-up in place for
tourism development. The infrastructural bottlenecks need to be
addressed, along with active political and social support to enable
technological investment for boosting tourism.

5. 5. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Tourism as an answer
Responsible Tourism
 An objective of National Tourism Policy of India: “sustainability should serve as a guiding star”
 Tourism has two faces: the ‘good’ and the ‘ugly’
 Essential to develop the concept of ‘responsible tourism’, all stakeholders have responsibility to reduce ‘ugly’ side and enhance ‘good’ side
 Example: Civil society overlooking conservation efforts, private player managing hospitality and public player leveraging expertise and of each organization and co-
ordinate activities of various stakeholders
 Modernization and population explosion has impact on environment, 30% of forest area cover is under pressure of rapid land use changes
 Gradual deforestation has led to decrease in rainfall by 4.88mm/day in NE region
 Conservation is possible when the primary stakeholders are involved and are fully aware of the need for it
 To create a sustainable model, a relative interlinked value chain should be developed: conservation & development effort + export potential
Holistic development through tourism
Tourism has the potential to bring a holistic
development of the entire north east region and
address some age-old typical issues.
Tourism potential
 Strategic location, rich biodiversity, heritage and
culture make north east India an attractive
tourism destination
Biodiversity hotspot, wildlife sanctuaries, natural
beauty
 Education tourism: higher than national average
literacy rate, IIT G,NITs,NIFT,regional medical &
engineering colleges,schools can help attract
students from other states & South Asia
 Medical tourism: NEIGHRIMS, GMCH, floating
hospital (on the Brahmaputra) can be developed
further for quality and affordable healthcare
 Spiritual tourism: Vaishnavism (pioneered by Sri
Sankardev), syncretic hub (Hajo), presence of
monasteries and other religious and tribal places
of worship
 Historical tourism: Rich history, monuments
throughout the region
Conservation & development
Conservation happens best when primary
stakeholder livelihoods are directly linked to it
 Rural tourism: More villages similar to
Mawlynnong: Asia’s cleanest village, should be
developed to encourage cultural as well economic
sustainability
 Eco tourism: Tourism hubs at undisturbed
natural areas should be developed
 Volunteer travel: In order to conserve nature
travelers must be encouraged to take up
volunteering travel where they can involve
themselves in charitable acts
Parameters to be considered
 Economic viability
 Local prosperity
 Employment quality
 Social equality
 Local control
 Community well-being
 Cultural richness
 Physical integrity
 Biological diversity
 Resource efficiency
 Environmental purity
 Visitor fulfillment

6. 6
6. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Tourism as an answer (continued)
Common
Management
Responsible
Tourism
Tourism
bridging the
gap
Common Management
 Objective of National Tourism Policy of India: “to achieve a superior quality of life
for India’s people through tourism”
 When planning for rural tourism in the NER, various elements (ref: Parameters to
be considered, previous slide) should be incorporated
 All this start with a Private Public Partnership (PPP) Model as tourism is primarily a
private sector driven industry
 In NE the following elements should be stressed upon:
• Financing new infrastructure projects
• Evolving a modern, focused, comprehensive and intensive marketing collaboration
• Collaborating in human resource development
• Sharing in the development, beautification and maintenance of various tourism
products/sites
• Participating in the preservation of heritage
• Providing leadership in creating awareness about sustainable norms by adopting
environmentally-benign practices
Public sector
Private sector
Civil society
Financers
•Provide investment options to private sector and donors
•Drive co-ordination among various stakeholders
•Create environment for market driven investment and growth
•Adopt commercial initiatives to cater to unique regional needs
•Provide commercial and social value, thereby winning trust and
confidence
•Create and sustain innovation ecosystem
•Gatekeeper of transparency and implementation of best
practices
•Incorporate best practices from companies regarding efficiency
and scalability
•Leverage funds for greater impact of private sector led
initiatives
Stakeholder responsibilities
Media •Change agent
•Creating a favourable perception of north east India

7. 7. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Proposed solution # 1: Bridging the gap
Problems
Development of
local industriesTerrorism ConnectivityPerceptionAwareness about
tourist places
InfrastructureTourism
Responsible
tourism
Common
Management
Tourism as a solution
• Development of tourism in the North Eastern States will help eradicate common misconceptions that people foster about North East
• Funds generated will help in the overall development of the region
Benefits
• Emergence of North East as a region of diverse culture with scenic beauty and an array of untapped potential
• Foster growth and development in the region
• Help in the improvement of infrastructure- connectivity
• Increases awareness about the region
Creating awareness
Online Changed
perception
Development
of websites,
print media,
ads
Overall development of the
region
NE as a safe
tourist
destination
rich in flora
and fauna
Development of
infrastructure
Boosts tourism
2 – Way Street Model
Development of infrastructure boost
tourism which in turn infuses funds which
can be used for further development
Long term growth model
Awareness
about the
region
2 main problem headings addressed
Growth
and
develop
ment
Ad jingle with catch phrase: “North East India: Explore the unexplored mystique of nature”

8. 8. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Proposed solution #2: Developing economic hubs based on agriculture, tourism potential, handloom, crafts
and SMEs
These hubs will act as ink-spot hubs and help the surrounding areas to
develop, thereby improving the market linkages on three scales:
• Within north east India
• With the rest of India
• With international markets
Selection of specific hub(eg. Sulakuchi for silk, Darangiri for bananas)
Development of soft and hard infrastructure
Construction of market to farm/factory roads
Strengthening of market information systems
Introduction of computerized market yards
Development of internationally accepted product grades and standards
Strengthening of quality control mechanisms
Expansion of rural credit facilities/creation of SHGs
Imparting training to local producers/manufacturers on promotion of
product and importance of quality standards
Yearly festivals in each economic hub as promotional strategy
Leverage specialty of each hub to attract tourists
Development of economic hub
Please refer to Annexure A for exhaustive diagram (Causal Loop Diagram) on how tourism in NE India can help develop other sectors and vice versa
Development
of economic
hub
Economic
development
of region
Income
generation
Development of
quality and
competitiveness
Market
mechanism
development
Increase in
total
production
More
employment
opportunities

9. 9. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Proposed solution #2: Developing economic hubs (continued)
Focus crop
group^
Arunachal
Pradesh
Assam Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Sikkim Tripura
Pineapple    
Citrus    
Ginger   
Turmeric   
Passion fruit 
Kiwi fruit 
Naga chilli 
Large
cardamom

Vegetables*  
*Potato,cabbage,cauliflower,brinjal,tomato,bitter gourd,okra,bean
^ISAP analysis
NE India is heavily dependant on agriculture, as it provides livelihood to more than 70% of the region’s population.
Although the region covers 8% of the total area of the country, yet agricultural produce is only 1.5% of total
produce in India. Special attention needs to be given to the development of certain crops along with development
of economic hubs and tourism, to bring holistic and sustainable growth . These crop groups may be identified on
the basis of their economic value, demand in distant markets, post harvest infrastructure, exclusivity to the north
east region and inherited advantage. Cash crops like tea, rice (especially ‘joha’ rice) shall continue to be focus of
attention alongside the focus crop groups.
Other crops like apples, bananas, rubber, orchids, areca nut, coconut and guavas can also grown in a large scale.
Creation of focus crop groups and their development for boosting tourism
1. Gangtok (Orchid)
2. Sualkuchi (Silk)
3. Sarthebari (Bell metal)
4. Hajo (Syncretism)
5. Guwahati (Nerve centre)
6. Pabitora (Bird sanctuary)
7. Darangiri (Banana market)
8. Kaziranga (Wildlife sanctuary)
9. Dibrugarh(Tea)
10. Hojai (Fragrance)
11. Kohima (Naga shawl)
12. Dimapur (Export hub)
13. Djukou (Floriculture)
14. Tawang (Adventure
sports/monastery)
15. Majuli (Cultural centre)
16. Shillong (Sacred groves/JFM)
17. Cherrapunji (Honey/caves)
18. Moirang (Loktak lake)
19. Aizwal(Development of sports
infrastructure)
20 Agartala (Rubber/palaces)
1
2
34 6 7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
5
Proposed economic hubs

10. 10. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
•Multi-stakeholder planning process
•Define shared aspirations
•Market driven, govt. the enabler
•Designed for scalability
•Choose not to do certain things
•Realistic and quantifiable objectives
•Trade-offs among various value chains
•Bankable investment opportunities across chain
•Engaging appropriate manpower
•Incentives for their motivation
•Encourage entrepreneurship
•Creation of an innovation ecosystem
•Development of roadways, railways, airways,
waterways
•Provision of power, irrigation facilities, telephony
•Development of IT services and human capital
•PPP projects, creation of SEZs
•Catalytic capital financing mechanisms
•Combination of guarantees, grants & commercial
money
•Insurances and guarantees
•Funding commitments
•Regulations and control mechanisms
•Delivery unit to monitor change
•Availability of resources for operational
development
•Transparency monitoring and real time monitoring
•Manage conflicts and controversies
Realizing the growth potential of tourism in north east India: Goals and measuring their progress
Measuring the goals
Goal Indicator Unit
Economic
opportunity
•Development of
trade
•Growth in SMEs
•Growth in
agriculture etc.
•Increase in state
GDP
•Population
migration from BPL
to APL
Tourism
development
•Development of
hospitality and allied
industries
•Increase in inflow
of tourists
Environmental
sustainability
•GHG emissions
•Water usage
efficiency
•Soil usage
•SPM
•Water quality
•Use of organic
farming practices
Economic
opportunity
Environmental
sustainability
Tourism
development
through holistic development of tourism
Leadership &
prioritization
Investment
opportunities
Infrastructural
development
Financing
Risk
management
Institutions
for delivery
Drivers of tourism development
•Tanzania’s SAGCOT
•Rwanda’s CAADP
•CII, FICCI, NEC,
DONER initiatives
•PPP model by GOI
•Ryuthu Bazaar
model, Andhra
Pradesh
•Grameen Danone,
Bangladesh
•Feeder roads in
South Sudan
•Brazil’s SENAR
•NREGA scheme
•Contract farming in
Punjab
•Reliance’s Farm to
Fork model
E
x
a
m
p
l
e
s
o
f
b
e
s
t
p
r
a
c
t
i
c
e
s

11. • Difficulty in gaining attention of ‘mainstream’ Indians
• Thorough leverage of mass media/ advertisements /online agencies to create awareness of tourism potential of north east
India
• Changing the negative notion that North East India is unsafe
• Issue of Development versus Preservation: the need to maintain sustainability in the face of urbanisation/commercialisation
• Regular agitations/strikes/bandhs called by different groups (political/militant/student)
• Changing the mentality of the local population to be positive for the cause
• Hindrance of crime(abductions/asking ransom amounts/threats)
• Varying demands of each stakeholder: Each region has unique stakeholders, hence difficult to agglomerate demands
• Complacent government machinery
• Region is prone to natural disasters(lanslides/floods/earthquakes): impediment to development of infrastructure and growth
of tourism
11. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Challenges to holistic tourism development
Addressing these challenges through active participation of all stakeholders (mutual give and take) and rising above narrow self interests for the cause of the entire
north east region is the key to holistic tourism development. The drivers of tourism development should work in sync with one another to realise the true
potential of tourism in north east India.

12. • Korstanje M.E., Clayton A., 2010; “Tourism and terrorism: conflicts and commonalities”; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Stronza A.L., 2010; “Commons management and ecotourism: ethnographic evidence from the Amazon”; International Journal
of the Commons
• Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), 2012; “Value chain analysis of select crops in north eastern states”
• E&Y-FICCI, 2012; “India Infrastructure Summit 2012”
• World Economic Forum-McKinsey & Company, 2012; “Putting the new vision for agriculture into action: a transformation is
happening”
• Ministry of Tourism, GOI, (2011); “Annual Report 2011-12”
• Ministry of Tourism, GOI, (2011); “India tourism statistics”
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 2010; “A good practice guide sustainable forest management, biodiversity and
livelihoods”
• KPMG-CII, 2009; “Infrastructure development in agriculture: Route to rural transformation”
12. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
References

13. 13. Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Annexure A: Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) of tourism development in NE India vis-à-vis other
macroeconomic variables

14. 14.Team Highlanders: IIM Kozhikode
Together, we shall overcome.
THANK YOU!