Nagaland's Hornbill Festival Enhances Global Image, Asserts Chief Minister
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Kohima, Dec 11 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, remarked on Wednesday that the celebrated Hornbill Festival has notably enhanced the state's image on the global platform, highlighting the vibrant energy, creativity, and innovation of the youth to an international audience, facilitating their journey towards achieving their aspirations.
This year signifies a historic achievement as Nagaland celebrated 25 years of this illustrious festival, a source of immense pride for all residents of the northeastern region.
The annual festival, spanning 10 days from December 1 to 10, concluded at the scenic Naga heritage village of Kisama, located 12 km from the capital city, Kohima.
In its silver jubilee edition, the Hornbill Festival featured Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom (Wales), and Peru as country partners, while Sikkim and Telangana participated as partner states.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the inclusion of partner countries and states has introduced a multi-dimensional facet to the festival, nurturing collaborations, partnerships, and developmental opportunities.
The Music Festival has broken barriers, establishing Nagaland as a global music hotspot and offering unmatched platforms for local talent, Rio added. Most importantly, our shared objective of promoting, preserving, and celebrating our ancient traditions, rich cultural heritage, and the Naga way of life is further reinforced through this event.
The 25th iteration of the Hornbill Festival at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama attracted a staggering total of 205,968 visitors throughout its 10-day duration.
A senior official from Nagaland’s Tourism and Art and Culture department reported a remarkable 33.7 percent increase in attendance compared to last year, which saw 154,057 visitors.
According to departmental officials, this year's festival welcomed a varied audience, comprising 2,527 foreign tourists, 56,217 domestic visitors, and 147,224 local attendees.
Day 10, which fell on Tuesday, recorded the highest turnout with 32,081 visitors, marking it as the peak day for attendance.
The festival's final day also recorded the largest number of local participants, totaling 23,816 attendees.
The inaugural day of the festival, December 1, saw the highest influx of foreign tourists, with 513 visitors, while day 8 attracted the most domestic visitors, reaching 9,342.
The number of foreign tourists rose from 2,108 in 2023 to 2,375 this year.
The Hornbill Festival, renowned for its display of the diverse cultures and traditions of Nagaland, continues to gain traction as a significant cultural and tourism event in India, as per official reports.
