For a visionary growth

Survival in a competitive world often demands reinvention. For Nagaland’s tourism, the Hornbill Festival 2025, which concluded on December 10, is both a triumph and a test. The festival, launched in 2000, has grown into a spectacle of acting locally and thinking globally, but its very success now demands a strategic rethink. Hornbill today is a mosaic of experiences-traditional dances, agricultural and floricultural displays, musical performances, beauty pageants, World War II jeep rallies, poetry launches, theatre, and global fairs. This eclectic mix reflects the creativity of its organizers, yet it also highlights the logistical strain on Kohima and Kisama, where roads and infrastructure struggle to cope with swelling visitor numbers. Expansion into other districts has been mooted, but the question is not simply about dispersal-it is about balance. At the heart of Hornbill lies Kisama, the symbolic home of Naga heritage. It is here that the festival’s core components-jeep rallies, poetry launches, theatre, official programmes and global fairs-can remain, as they are integral to the identity of Hornbill and should not be diluted by relocation. Kisama provides the cultural gravitas and historical resonance that makes Hornbill unique. To shift these elements elsewhere would risk fragmenting the festival’s soul. Yet, the state cannot ignore the strategic importance of Chümoukedima and Dimapur. These hubs, with their rail and air connectivity, are natural gateways for visitors from Assam and beyond. What is needed is not duplication of Kisama’s festival, but complementary year round cultural centres. Establishing permanent exhibits at the Agri Expo grounds in Chümoukedima-replicas of tribal households, traditional food stalls, and performances-would allow visitors to experience Naga culture beyond the narrow window of December. Such centres would cater especially to non Naga visitors, offering them a living museum of traditions accessible at any time of the year.Dimapur and Chümoukedima also hold potential for tourism diversification. Water sports in reservoirs and rivers, long suggested but never realized, could add new dimensions to Nagaland’s tourism portfolio. These activities would not compete with Kisama’s cultural core but would broaden the state’s appeal. In an era when neighbouring states are aggressively expanding their tourism offerings, Nagaland must innovate to remain competitive. What is evidently clear is that Kisama should continue to anchor the Hornbill Festival; while Dimapur and Chümoukedima expand Nagaland’s tourism horizon. By keeping the festival’s symbolic and cultural heart intact at Kisama and at the same time, building permanent centres at Chümoukedima and Dimapur ; the state can ease traffic congestion, distribute visitor flows, and encourage private investment. Tourism would then become a year round enterprise rather than a seasonal spectacle, with Hornbill serving as the finale and the crown jewel of a larger ecosystem. Nagaland’s tourism faces a choice: to swim or to sink. The Hornbill Festival has already proven its worth as a cultural brand. However, its future depends on strategic clarity-preserving Kisama’s identity while harnessing Dimapur and Chümoukedima’s potential. Only then will Hornbill continue to soar, not as a burdened spectacle, but as a balanced symbol of resilience, creativity, and global appeal. Hornbill was born of vision, and its continued relevance depends on broadening that vision. By keeping Kisama as the festival’s cultural anchor while harnessing Dimapur and Chumoukedima’s potential, Nagaland can transform Hornbill from a seasonal spectacle into the crown jewel of a year round tourism ecosystem.