Circuit Design & Tourism Planning ~ An in-depth field survey has been carried out by Pragya members in the districts of West Kameng and Tawang, the only districts to have been opened to tourism in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The various tourism assets and their compatible activities and allied industries have been identified. Existing infrastructure & facilities have been mapped and gaps identified. Host communities and the environmental & cultural fabric have been assessed for their capacity.A market survey has been carried out and the potential demand estimated. A comprehensive plan for the development of rural tourism in these two districts has been prepared in collaboration with potential stakeholders, including tour operators, community members, culture associations, village heads (gaonburas), and the local administration. Circuits have been designed and tourism products (tourist activities, attractions, packages) are in the process of being developed. Detailed plans for marketing & promotion, and development of tourism infrastructure are also being prepared in collaboration with local tour operators. The strategies and plans for the development of the allied industries of handicrafts, horticulture and agroproducts, cultural events, etc., will follow.

Awareness & Orientation ~ Pragya has worked intensively in the area, building awareness among the local population, working with them in assessing the potential of the area and the communities for rural tourism enterprises, and in developing the plans for establishing the community based ecotourism sector in these two districts. Interactions are being organised between some target customers and successful mountain tourism entrepreneurs in order to orient them to the market requirements and service and hygiene standards expected.

Heritage Preservation Councils ~ Pragya has been instrumental in building awareness on the rich cultural & natural heritage of the region and the necessity of preserving them before tourism alters them beyond repair. Following meetings with the village community, Heritage Preservation Councils (HPC) are being set up in the villages of Sangti (West Kameng) and Shernup (Tawang). Officebearers, including women, have been identified, and these bodies will be registered with the District Administration, and their members trained.

Community Conservation Drives ~ The inaugural activity of the Councils included the adoption of one degraded patch of community-owned forest land per council, for afforestation. Saplings of tree species, native to the region, were sourced from the Forest Department and the planting was carried out involving village elders, youth, women and a highly enthusiatic bunch of school children. Awareness is also being raised in the community on the need for preserving and managing the architectural heritage of the region expressed in its ancient monuments. Dirang Dzong, an ancient fort-cum-prison, for instance, has partially collapsed owing to neglect. Pragya has been exploring financial and technical assistance towards its restoration.

Training for Tourism Stakeholders ~ In order to orient them towards proper visitor and destination management as well as market requirements, local stakeholders of tourism - tour operators, hotel owners and mountain guides, both existing and potential, have been imparted training by the organisation in collaboration with professional institutions/organisations of repute namely, Sita Academy, Radisson Hotel and Mountaineering & Allied Sports Institute.

Technology Transfer, Guidelines & Standards Development ~ A group of tourism stakeholders from the region were constituted into a band of ‘Eco-Professionals’ with orientation and training in appropriate environmental technologies (waste, water & energy) for sustainable tourism management. This group was also facilitated to formulate a Code of Conduct in order to adhere to a commonly agreed upon sets of do’s and don’ts in managing tourism and hospitality in the region, that will ensure positive tourist experience and environment & culture preservation.

Village Guesthouses & Wayside Amenities ~ Towards basic tourism infrastructure creation & upgradation of existing facilities, the construction of model village guesthouses and wayside amenities has been planned. Site selection for the former has been conducted in two villages. To be constructed on land donated by the community, it will be built using traditional housing material and architectural design furnished with appropriate waste-water-energy management facilities. On similar lines, select wayside amenities on the tourist circuit are to be adopted and spruced up to tourism standards.

Marketing & Sustainability ~ Strategies and processes will be developed for marketing and promotion of the tourist destinations and products. Brochures, CDs, and a website will be developed for tourist information and market development. The material for these is in the process of being compiled. Networks are also being set up with marketing agencies in tourist catchment areas.

Conservation & Integrated Development ~ Community institutions, networks and processes need to be instituted to focus on market development, infrastructure improvement, and social and ecological interventions. These will ensure that the effort is sustainable and contributes to the rural community as a whole.