Visiting domestic, foreign tour operators debate pros and cons of ILP
SHILLONG: Amidst the tussle between pressure groups who are demanding implementation of the ILP and the State Government which has rejected the demand, some interesting suggestions have come forth from domestic and foreign tour operators who are currently in the city as part of the FAM Tour 2013.
While some tour operators were of the view that ILP would prove to be an obstacle to the development of tourism in Meghalaya, others observed that the ILP was just a mechanism put in place to protect and preserve the minority community and at the same time expressed confidence that it would have no effect on the tourism sector.
However, all the tour operators were of the firm belief that if ILP is implemented in the State, it should be hassle-free and that the monitoring agency should be efficient enough to prevent tourists from waiting for 2-3 days just to obtain their entry permits.
Talking to The Shillong Times on Wednesday, executive adviser of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Tsutomu Sato, admitted that implementation of the ILP will, to some extent, hinder tourism development in the State.
Sato, however, said that in the event the ILP is implemented, then the North Eastern states, including Sikkim, should open up offices in various countries including in Japan to save tourists from those countries from going through the time-consuming procedures of registering and applying for the permit to come here.
“Meghalaya has a lot of potential in the tourism sector and there is a need to develop this field to further boost the economic income of the State, and at the same time, strengthen the relationship between India and other countries,” Sato added.
Zoliana Chhakchhuak, executive director of Mizoram-based Omega Travels, who is well-versed on the issues related to ILP, sought to dismiss fears that ILP would affect the development of tourism in the State.
“To say that ILP deters tourism is something very untrue because it is just another Act put in place to safeguard our tribal community. What is wrong in that?” he asked, adding that in a year or two, people will get used to such laws in the State and they will learn to adapt and respect the laws.
Chhakchhuak, however, observed that Meghalaya is the thoroughfare for many neighbouring states and implementation of the ILP would check the entry and exit of many people.
He also spoke against implementation of the ILP in the capital city.
“To implement ILP in a cosmopolitan city like Shillong is not advisable as this city is home to many other tribes besides the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos. However, ILP should be enforced strictly in the rural areas where the entry of illegal migrants is turning into a problem,” he noted.
KC Denzongpa of the Sikkim Association of Advertisement Tour Operator was of the view that ILP will, to some extent, hinder the development of tourism in Meghalaya, but with time, tourists would begin to overlook the prevailing laws in the State, and prefer to come to Meghalaya.
He, however, stressed on the need to put into place an efficient monitoring agency which would keep track of the inflow of tourists into the State and ensure that permits are provided to the tourists within 24 hours and that too in a hassle-free manner to prevent wastage of time as is being done in Sikkim.
“Sikkim is not lagging behind as far as the tourism sector is concerned despite the presence of laws like the Inner Line Permit and the Protected Area Permit,” Denzongpa said.
It may be mentioned here that recently, EB Blah, president of the North East India Tourism Confederation, had stated that if ILP is implemented in Meghalaya, it would affect the growth of tourism in the State which has immense potential for growth in this sector.
According to him, implementation of the ILP will hamper the flow of tourists and at the same time prevent international tour operators from coming and exploring the natural beauty that Meghalaya has to offer.