Kohima: During the ongoing session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along revealed that last year’s Hornbill Festival held at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama contributed Rs 17,11,980 to the state exchequer.
The disclosure was made in response to a query raised by the Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLA regarding the revenue generation from the festival. Along provided insights from the Tourism Department’s data, indicating that out of the total allocation of Rs 5.5 crore to host the festival, the revenue generated constituted approximately 3.1%.
“From the amount of Rs 5,50,000,00 allocated to the Tourism Department by the State Government in 2023 to organise Hornbill Festival, Rs 17,11,980 was added to the State Exchequer from various heads during the 24th edition of the Hornbill Festival, which is about 3.1% of the total allocated money”, Along said.
The minister said that direct government revenue generation from the 10-day mega festival may not be treated as a priority. “This can be considered as a beneficial trait as the actual investment of the government generates more than twenty-fold times in return for the economic partners of the festival which are infused into the local economy,” Along said.
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MLA Kikon expressed concern over the comparatively “meager” revenue generated from the mega event. He urged the department to explore avenues to enhance revenue generation, particularly as Nagaland prepares to host the 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival this year.
Kikon proposed the promotion of rural tourism, especially along the inter-state border areas, as a means to diversify revenue streams and bolster the economic impact of the festival.
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