Effect of Ethnic crisis on Tourism in Manipur

Over a yearlong ethnic clashes, mounting death and destruction in the north eastern state of Manipur has brought life and livelihood to a grinding halt and completely derailed the momentum that tourism sector in the state and the region as a whole has received over the last few years. The tourism industry in the northeast of India is in a state of shock and disbelief at the of events in Manipur over the last one and half year. For a state which was showing a serious intent to leave the past mistakes behind and march ahead on the path of growth and development and build an image as a peaceful destination for people to visit as well as business to invest in the last few years, the current state of affairs is something which even an incorrigible pessimist would not have dreamt off.
The kind of image boost, Manipur as a state and Imphal as an important Capital city in the northeaster region has received in the last few months prior to the violence had been incredible. Imphal played host to many important events in the first quarter of 2023 including the first of the four B20 conferences of the G20 dialogue forum for the global business community in February, in northeast state concluded here in Imphal (Manipur) on February 19, 2023. Over 100 delegates from 23 countries participated in the three day Imphal event.
Again state hosted the Tri-national Football Tournament featuring India, Myanmar and Kyrgyz Republic in March and Femina Miss India beauty Pageant in April 2023 both in the same Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal. However sudden turn of events and the ethnic violence started in the first week of May has taken the entire state into its grip in no time and despite best efforts from the Law enforcement agencies of the State and the Centre, the arson and carnage continued where so far more than 200 lives have been lost and thousands rendered homeless. Even the well protected houses of State and Central Ministers in the hearth of the Capital City Imphal were not spared in the arson. While a solution for the issue is still a far cry, the business and Industry in the state and in the region as a whole are a worried a lot about the impact it’s going to have on the livelihood and economy as a whole in the medium and long term, considering the chasm and distrust the events are going to leave behind with every day passing by.
“The brand northeast” has been severely dented by these unfortunate incidents. The whole situation turned topsy- turvy and flared up to unprecedented proportions so quickly, reminding people of the year of violence that left behind a decade back. To say, it’s sad would be an understatement. It is totally unfortunate about the sudden turn of events which put the clock back. The state was on the road to promising development. Hotels, homestays, restaurants business all were thriving, opening livelihood opportunities for people. The situation is quite bad here. All the hotels and business are shut and we don’t expect the situation to improve immediately, considering the negative publicity the violent incidents have evoked in the national media, the hotelier doesn’t see prospects of business revival immediately even if the peace is restored.
Although insurgency is not new to the state, nobody expected the old faultiness to erupt again in the same vengeance which the state has been enjoying the fruits of political and economic stability in the last few years. Industry stakeholders also confirm this. There hasn’t been any violent incident in the state in recent years. The Violence in Manipur has undoubtedly had a significant impact on tourism in the entire northeast regions. The region is known for breath-taking landscapes, diverse cultures and warm hospitality, attracting travellers from all over the world. However, the incident of violence has created a sense of uncertainty and safety concerns among tourists, leading to a decline in visitor’s numbers. Tourism was a priority area for the state government and people have been encouraged to start hotels and homestays in the state by the government to create livelihood opportunities, whether the model was right or wrong is another question.
The whole economy has collapsed. The micro-enterprises like homestays, restaurants, tour and taxi operations which provide livelihood take a long time for the trust and confidence to return. Everything has come to a full stop after the violent incidents. Even queries for the next season starting September have also stopped. People who follows and have an understanding of the history of ethnic faults lines of the region feel that the trust deficit created by the current incident will take a long time to heal, that will have adverse impact on the economy of the region with investors sentiments taking a big hit. These incidents will leave a huge dent on investors sentiments. Potential investors will certainly rethink.
When critical law and order situation is in tatters, investors will think 100 times before investing in the state. The momentum that the state has received for investments in IT and other sectors by hosting the B20 conferences as a part of G20 Presidency early 2023 is totally lost and state is back to square one again. While the damage has already been done, the tourism industry stakeholders want the administration to clamp down on perpetrators of violence in the state to restore peace. It is crucial for the authorities and local communities to address these issues promptly and effectively. Restoring peace ensuring safety and promoting a positive image of the region is paramount. The decline in tourists’ arrivals has affected local business, hotels, restaurants and livelihood of countless individuals already.
(Writer can be reached at: sjugeshwor7@gmail.com)