Conceding that the Northeastern state of Nagaland is constrained in terms of tourist infrastructure like classified hotels, good and seamless connectivity, which are integral for tourism, Temjen Imna Along, Minister of Tourism and Higher Education, Nagaland has said that the State government is in the process of “filling such gaps” with the active support of the Union government.
The Minister was addressing the media in Delhi, after announcing ‘Ticket to Hornbill’, a national musical band competition in the national capital as a prelude to the Hornbill Festival 2026.
‘Ticket to Hornbill’ will be held on October 16 and 17 at Talkatora Indoor Stadium in Delhi as a national competition to introduce to the world outside Nagaland the music, culture, heritage and artistic character of the state ahead of the annual Hornbill Festival scheduled between December 1 and 10 at heritage village Kisama in Kohima. Nagaland Tourism has partnered with Casio for the national band battle offering prize money of Rs 25 lakhs.
“Every aspect related to Naga culture and traditions will be showcased at the two-day event,” said Minister Along. Ticket to Hornbill initiative, the Minister said, would create “a compelling reason” for the audience in the national capital to visit the state during the Festival time in December. “We see this initiative strengthening tourism interest, cultural exchange and public engagement with the communities and creative traditions that define our state,” he added.
The Minister said that Nagaland is not for luxury tourists, but for those who cherish “experiences” staying closer to people in homestays understanding the life and culture of different tribes. Replying to the question of Article 371 and the Inner-line Permit Systems, the minister said that the permit system was not a deterrent for tourism, but an essential regulation intended to protect and conserve the local indigenous culture and traditions.
Present on the occasion, Abu Metha, Advisor to the CM of Nagaland and Chairman, Investment & Development Authority of Nagaland, spoke about the Hornbill Festival and its unique identity as a premier festival of Incredible India, the tourism bandwagon of Indian Tourism. “Hornbill exemplifies the energy, ambition and creativity of Naga people. It’s unique in terms of its cultural richness and a festival of different scale,” he said, explaining over 300 events that take place across 6 districts of the state over a 10-day period. The festival generated Rs 200 cr revenue for the local economy last year, he said.
While admitting that there is a gap that exists in terms of tourist infrastructure in Nagaland, Metha said that there has been a conscious attempt on the part of the government to fill those gaps and the improvements are noticeable. Taking into consideration the existing constraints, he said that the focus of Nagaland was not luxury-seeking travellers, but travellers who aspire experiential holidays.
Beyond the cultural significance of the Festival, he said that there would be business meetings, workshops on creative economy, literary meets, etc. on the sidelines of the 10-day festival, he informed.