Five‑Day Sun Rise Festival to Boost Tourism in Arunachal Pradesh

Chief Minister Pema Khandu revealed the plan, saying the festival will run from December 29 to January 2. The announcement was posted on X after his arrival in Walong, Anjaw district.

“Landed in Walong, Anjaw district, and I will be heading towards Dong, the place where the first sun ray touches Indian soil. To boost tourism and create new opportunities for adventurers and nature lovers, I am delighted to announce that from this year onwards, we will be hosting a five‑day ‘SUN RISE Festival’ at Dong from 29 December to 2 January,” Khandu posted.

“Come, witness the first dawn of the New Year in the Land of the Rising Sun,” he added.

Earlier, the North East Region (NER) Ministers’ Conference on Civil Aviation 2025, together with the 3rd North East Aviation Summit, was held on Thursday in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The event was organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

In the inaugural session, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh emphasised that transport connectivity is the most critical sector for the development of the NER. In the last decade, aviation infrastructure and the connectivity status of the NER have shown unprecedented growth, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The realisation of airports in Arunachal Pradesh has been a long‑cherished dream of the people, realised with the active support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister. Progress in aviation infrastructure and pioneering schemes like UDAN have been instrumental in transforming the socio‑economic aspirations of the North East region.

Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu emphasised the need to deepen Centre–State–Industry collaboration for the accelerated growth of the Civil Aviation sector in the North East. He noted that enhanced air connectivity is vital for improving access to remote and border areas, promoting tourism, facilitating cargo and logistics, and driving industrial as well as socio‑economic growth in Arunachal Pradesh and the North East. To realise its tourism potential, the North East must resolve its connectivity challenges rapidly. He also highlighted the need to accelerate skilling initiatives to speed up employment generation among regional youths, arguing that an industry‑driven aviation ecosystem could meet these needs.

The Minister also highlighted that the number of operational airports in the region has risen from nine in 2014 to sixteen today. Aircraft movements have nearly doubled, while domestic passenger traffic has more than tripled since 2014.