To mark its 25th anniversary, the Mopungchuket Community Tourism Society (MCTS) organized a one-day workshop on July 3 under the theme “Reflect, Reconnect, Reimagine” at Longrangtenem Park,
Mopungchuket. The event aimed to reassess the village’s tourism journey over the past two and a half decades and lay the groundwork for a renewed community-led tourism roadmap.
A total of 22 stakeholder groups participated in the workshop, including representatives from the
Mopungchuket Village Council, church bodies, women and youth organizations, student unions, schoolteachers, SHGs, cultural bodies, and local residents.
Delivering the keynote address, esource person Amba Jamir, Policy and Development
Strategist highlighted the critical need for a shared, community-owned vision in both tourism and overall village development. He described the event as a space for “revival, reflection, and rallying,” emphasizing that sustainable tourism is rooted in the people’s way of life, not in large-scale infrastructure.
“Tourism will not come because of buildings,” he said, adding, “It will come because of who we are—our
governance, our food, our way of life, our stories, and our ancient wisdom.”
Jamir explained the core philosophy of Community-Based Tourism (CBT), stressing local ownership, cultural preservation, and equitable benefit-sharing. He pointed out that in true CBT, tourists are regarded as guests, not consumers, and that the success of tourism hinges on community leadership.
Highlighting challenges facing Mopungchuket’s tourism efforts, he noted the limited capacity of the
Tourism Committee, lack of homestays, declining income from tourism, disappearing traditional crafts, weak youth engagement, and inadequate planning and marketing. He also warned against the erosion of cultural authenticity due to commercialization.
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Jamir also drew attention to the loss of indigenous food varieties and traditional knowledge systems such as lullabies, folk tales, and rituals. He urged the community to revive farming practices and promote intergenerational knowledge-sharing. Acknowledging women’s significant but often overlooked role in tourism-related activities, he called for greater recognition and support.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, MCTS Convener Limalenden Longkumer outlined the workshop’s objective: to assess past achievements and setbacks, reconnect stakeholders, and jointly develop a 10-year roadmap for tourism development in the village.
A group activity was also held where stakeholders were divided into three teams to deliberate on key
themes—Systems and Management, Revenue Generation, and Authenticity & Migration. Additionally, Jamir presented successful CBT models from other regions through a PowerPoint session to inspire and inform the participants.
The workshop concluded with all 22 stakeholder groups taking a joint pledge to work together in reviving and strengthening Mopungchuket’s tourism sector. The event was supported by Er R Lobosang
Jamir, Additional Chief Engineer (Design & Regulation), Department of Power, Nagaland.
