Report highlights need for sustainable year-round tourism strategy in Kohima beyond Hornbill Festival

DIMAPUR — A research study under the Urbaltour Project has called for a sustainable tourism strategy for Kohima, highlighting the city’s heavy dependence on the Hornbill Festival and claiming the need to develop year-round tourism.

The Urbaltour Project, a joint initiative of The Highland Institute, Kohima, and the French Institute of Pondicherry, examines the intersections of urban and tourism development in mountainous regions across South and Southeast Asia.

According to an update, using a mixed-method approach, the Kohima study mapped tourism growth and identified challenges and inequalities through extensive surveys and stakeholder interviews conducted between 2022 and 2025.

The findings reveal a tourism sector that is currently highly seasonal, fragmented, and burdened by infrastructure and service quality issues during peak times. The report emphasises that while Kohima possesses strong cultural and natural assets, its reliance on the annual Hornbill Festival is hindering year-round economic benefits and placing undue strain on the city.

Nearly 45% of visitors identified the Hornbill Festival as their primary reason for visiting Kohima.

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Visitor satisfaction was found to be generally high in terms of hospitality and scenic appeal. However, transportation, accommodation, and information services were notably weaker during the festival period compared to off-season months.

The typical visitor is male (73%), from another Indian state (91%), and travels in a group. Festival visitors stay for shorter durations, while off-season travellers—mostly interested in nature and trekking (75%)—tend to stay between five and eight days, indicating untapped potential for niche tourism.

The hospitality industry in Kohima is dominated by small enterprises, with 75% of establishments created since 2014. Hotels account for most jobs (76%), while village-based homestays near Kisama and Khonoma contribute mainly as supplementary income sources. Local vendors, particularly women, identified inadequate stall space and poor sanitation facilities at the Hornbill Festival as major concerns, despite the event’s vital role in sustaining their livelihoods.

The report recommended the creation of a Coordinating Tourism Council bringing together government officials, village council representatives, and hospitality stakeholders to craft a shared vision. It further proposed adopting a “high-value, low-volume” strategy focusing on off-season, niche segments such as eco-tourism, trekking, and cultural heritage.

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Other recommendations included investing in long-term solutions by prioritising infrastructure improvements in water, waste, and traffic management, and building local capacity through training and upskilling programmes for local workers to enhance service quality.

The findings will be presented at a public workshop titled “Visitor Profiles, Spatial Patterns, and the Dynamics of Tourism in Kohima” on November 11 at 10:30 am at The Heritage, Kohima. The workshop aims to foster dialogue and collaboration across sectors through the presentation of findings and an open discussion on sustainable tourism strategies for Kohima.

The public, stakeholders, and media have been invited to attend and contribute to shaping a more resilient and inclusive tourism future for the city.

The French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP), UMIFRE 21 CNRS-MEAE, is a research institution under the joint supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

It is the largest of the 26 research centres under these umbrellas and is part of the Research Unit USR 3330 “Savoirs et Mondes Indiens” of the CNRS, along with the Centre de Sciences Humaines in New Delhi.

Founded in 2013 in Kohima, Nagaland, The Highland Institute is an independent research centre focused on the socio-political, cultural, historical, environmental, and developmental challenges of Highland Asia.

It conducts collaborative field research with national and international partners and shares its findings through global academic platforms. Supported by a network of research fellows, the Institute also promotes knowledge exchange through joint projects and postgraduate programmes.