By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The travel advisories issued by many countries preventing foreign tourists to visit Meghalaya and the rest of the Northeast is a challenge for the improvement of tourism sector in the region, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma admitted in the Assembly on Thursday.
In reply to a supplementary question by James Sangma (NPP) on the Chief Minister’s visit to foreign countries with an intention to promote tourism, Dr Sangma, who is also in charge of the tourism portfolio, said that during the Indo-Swiss tourism meet held in Geneva in the past, one of the tour operators said at the interaction session that several governments had issued travel warnings telling the tour operators not to organise travels to the Northeast region of India.
“We need to engage ourselves with different foreign embassies to correct the perception as the negative impression about the Northeast will not be conducive to boost tourism,” Dr Sangma said.
According to the Chief Minister, due to the negative perception Shillong, despite being one of the best hill stations, has failed to attract many tourists unlike Darjeeling.
The Chief Minister also said that during his interaction with the tour operators from Bangladesh in Dhaka, they had expressed the need to send more tourists to Shillong since it is a hill station. Earlier, replying to a question raised by Jemino Mawthoh (UDP), the Chief Minister said that Meghalaya Tourism Development and Investment Promotion Scheme, 2012 was launched to provide financial assistance to entrepreneurs for creation of home stays and resorts.
To another supplementary question of T Chyne (UDP), the Chief Minister assured that the Government will set up wayside amenities in Sohra.
The Government also has a plan to set up cable cars across the gorges of Mawsynram and Sohra to attract tourists, Dr Sangma said, adding that tourism circuits and eco tourism projects will also be taken up in parts of the State.
Replying to another supplementary question by John Leslee Sangma (Ind), the Chief Minister said that the Government was also committed to protect historically and culturally important places like Baitbari in Garo Hills in view of encroachment in these areas.
