Manipur seeks relaxation of PAP rules for Indian-origin foreign tourists to boost tourism

Manipur Tourism Commissioner Kheda Varta Singh has urged the Centre to consider relaxing Protected Area Permit (PAP) requirements for foreign tourists of Indian origin, saying the situation in the state's valley areas has improved significantly since the ethnic violence broke out in 2023.

In an interview with PTI on the sidelines of the International Tourism Mart 2026 in Tawang, Singh said the Centre could consider allowing Indian-origin foreign nationals to visit non-sensitive tourist destinations in Manipur without the existing permit restrictions.

He suggested that the Union Tourism Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs could jointly examine the possibility of exempting identified tourist locations in the valley from the PAP requirement.

"70-80 per cent of the important and iconic tourist sites in Manipur are in the valley, where the situation has almost returned to normal," Singh said, adding that security concerns were now largely confined to remote areas in the northern hill districts.

He, however, acknowledged that the violence had not completely ended, saying incidents were now being reported mainly from interior areas.

Singh said there had been no further instances of violence in the past six months, and tourists had started returning to the state.

In his presentation at the tourism conclave, Singh identified regional unrest as a major challenge, saying it had led to travel advisories, discouraged casual tourists and restricted inter-district movement.

He proposed a simplified clearance mechanism or empowering local authorities and the tourism department to issue PAPs to verified applicants considered to be at low risk.

"This is a request we want to place before the Ministry of Tourism, which would have to be further taken up with the Ministry of Home Affairs," he told PTI.

Singh said Manipur's status as a sensitive border state, sharing an international boundary with Myanmar, required security considerations to be taken into account. However, he argued that arrangements could be made for people of Indian origin wanting to visit the state with their families, provided their proposed destinations did not pose security concerns.

He also suggested that specific locations could be exempted from PAP requirements if they were assessed as non-sensitive. The tourism department plans to raise the proposal with the state government's top leadership before approaching the Centre, he said.

Highlighting Manipur's tourism potential, Singh said the central valley region spans around 2,000 square kilometres and includes destinations such as Loktak Lake, the 122-foot statue celebrating the state's association with polo, a war memorial commemorating resistance against British forces in 1891, and the Japanese War Memorial.

To illustrate the gradual return of visitors, he cited the visit of a large Korean delegation from October 19 to 24, which stayed in the state for nearly a week. A Japanese delegation is also scheduled to visit Manipur from November 1 to 7, including the Japanese War Memorial, he said.

Singh also highlighted 'Mera Houchongba', an annual festival held in October that brings together communities from the hills and valley to promote solidarity, peace and cultural exchange.

According to tourism figures shared by Singh, Manipur received around 1.6 lakh tourists in 2022-23, including approximately 5,400 foreign visitors. The total tourist footfall fell to around 30,000 in 2025-26, he said, expressing hope that the numbers would increase in the coming years.

He also expected a significant rise in tourist arrivals with the proposed arrival of railway connectivity in Imphal in 2028.