Mizoram launches ‘Pluck & Pay’ festival to link tourism with rural livelihoods

Mizoram on September 23 launched its first ‘Pluck & Pay’ Festival in Tualte and Chawngtlai villages of Khawzawl district, bringing farming communities directly into the state’s tourism economy.

The three-day festival, being held from September 23 to 25, allows visitors to enter local farms, harvest fruits and vegetables themselves and pay for what they pick. The initiative is aimed at creating a direct link between tourists and farming households while promoting agro-tourism and community-based tourism.

The festival has been jointly organised by the Mizoram Tourism Department and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Khawzawl.

Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said the initiative was intended to ensure that tourism revenue reaches the communities hosting visitors.

“The future of tourism is not only about taking visitors to places; it is about creating value for the people who make those places worth visiting,” Hmar said.

The festival extends beyond farm visits, with traditional music and dance, local food, handicrafts, Mizo recreational games and visits to nearby historical and tourist sites included in the programme.

The model is also expected to create opportunities for other local businesses. Increased tourist activity could generate demand for farm produce, local cuisine, homestays, transport, guides, handicrafts and cultural services, allowing tourism spending to circulate within the villages.

The festival comes as Mizoram seeks to expand its tourism sector beyond conventional sightseeing. The state government has been promoting community-based tourism and a calendar of festivals across different districts, with the aim of drawing visitors to rural and cultural destinations.

Khawzawl's Tualte and Chawngtlai villages are being positioned as destinations where visitors can participate directly in agricultural activities while experiencing local food, culture and village life.

The ‘Pluck & Pay’ festival also marks the beginning of Mizoram's 2026 festival season. Other events on the state's tourism calendar include the Anthurium Festival, Hnahsin Kût, Mizoram Travel Fest, Leitlangpui Music Festival, Winter Festival, Tlaizawng Paradise Festival and the Sakawrhmuituai Sunset Event.

Mizoram's tourism numbers have also been rising. According to the state government's February 2026 budget-session address, the state recorded 6,79,607 tourist visits between April and December 2025, including 9,606 foreign visitors.

The ‘Pluck & Pay’ model now puts the focus on how much of that growing visitor spending can reach communities outside the state's major tourist centres.