Women-Led Tourism Can Boost Northeast Buddhist Circuits

By: WE Staff | Friday, 8 May 2026

• Women-led tourism can boost Buddhist circuits and cultural exchange in Northeast India
• India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka discussed regional cooperation for Buddhist tourism
• Arunachal Pradesh will support women-led tourism through training, finance, and digital promotion

Dasanglu Pul, the Minister for Cultural Affairs in Arunachal Pradesh, said women-led rural tourism can be a tool to drive cultural interchange, sustainable development, and cooperative activities among nations in the Himalayan Buddhist region.

The Minister made her comments at a workshop for the Development of the Buddhist Circuit in Northeast India on May 7, noting that this women-led rural tourism model will achieve the goal of bringing the Buddhist sites in Northeast India to nations like Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

The workshop featured delegates from India (Assam and Sikkim), Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka and focused on working together to enhance regional cooperation and promote sustainable tourism based on a common Buddhist heritage.

Pul, who is also the Minister for Women and Child Development, stated that Arunachal Pradesh, which is known as "The Land of the Rising Sun," has a wealth of sites of spiritual and cultural significance to visitors, such as Tawang, Mechukha, and the Golden Pagoda in Namsai.

Pul also stated that the role of women in traditional or tribal communities has been considerable, and women have always been involved in preserving the cultural heritage of these tribal and rural communities through oral history, handicrafts, traditional food, festivals and rituals.

Introducing more involvement of these women's groups into tourism activities will benefit not only preservation of their cultural heritage, but will provide additional income-generating opportunities for them, while also contributing to the overall economy where they live.

The Minister further stated that the state government is committed to improving the working environment for women with new initiatives that include developing their skills through training programs, providing microfinance loans to women-led businesses, developing infrastructure in the state to improve access to tourism markets, and marketing local tourism experiences through the digital medium.

Minister Pul emphasized the need to enhance the tourism relationship with other Buddhist countries to create more international tourism opportunities, strengthen the bonds between peoples of the region and promote tourism.

A series of presentations were delivered by representatives from the participating countries; technical sessions were also included focusing on cooperation among regional states; connectivity to parts of the region; branding of tourist destinations/nations; the impact that women-led rural tourism has on the development of rural economies; and how these women can work together to enhance the growth of tourism throughout the region.

Key heritage sites have been identified and will be marketed as part of a larger tourism circuit, focusing on important Buddhist heritage sites in Northeast India.

Officials believe that this workshop represents a major milestone in developing better regional collaboration efforts, and tapping into the vast tourism resources in Northeast India through an inclusive, community-based, and sustainable development approach.