MCTS initiates crowdfunding to revive community-based tourism

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, Sep. 28 (EMN): With an intention to revive community tourism which was severely hit by the pandemic, the Mopungchuket Community Tourism Society (MCTS) launched an online crowdfunding initiative on September 27.

MCTS stated that the crowd funding was initiated to raise funds for resuscitating the community tourism efforts of Mopungchuket village, a popular rural tourism destination in Nagaland, which has been severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdowns.

The crowd funding initiative aims to raise an amount of INR 3,00,000 in two months from well-wishers, friends, in-laws and native citizens of Mopungchuket village. It informed that all donations received would be invested exclusively for reviving Mopungchuket community-based tourism. The online fundraising initiative was also launched through the crowd funding platform www.milaap.org.

As the Covid-19 crisis began unfolding in alarming proportions during mid-March 2020 and the government imposed the nation-wide lockdown, MCTS stated that they were caught off-guard and their source of income dried up overnight.

“Our nascent community tourism was severely hit when we were just starting to take off and all our self-sustainable community tourism efforts were brought to a grinding halt by the pandemic induced lockdown,” MCTS stated.

As the government has relaxed the lockdown restrictions because of the improved situation, MCTS stated that they are back on track albeit with empty hands. Despite being hit hard by Covid crisis, MCTS stated that they remain devoted to the cause of community growth and progress through tourism.

“Even as we steadily reopen Mopungchuket tourism, restarting it after almost two years of incredibly challenging times is as tough as starting from scratch. Thus, we need the support of one and all,” MCTS stated.