NEW DELHI: Come November, the picturesque Shillong will host India International Cherry Blossom Festival, the world’s only Autumn Cherry Blossom Festival for the second consecutive year.
Addressing a curtain raiser press conference here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma urged people from all over the country, especially from the national capital, to visit the state on the occasion.
“It is for you to see the beauty of this unique festival held in our capital,” he said.
The chief minister also hoped that a large number of foreign tourists will land in Meghalaya for this colourful festival.
He was also felicitated by the Press Club of India where he paid his maiden visit for the event.
Conrad lauded the initiative of Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) which is conducting the festival.
This is another way to deepen and strengthen the connections with the government of Japan through the exposition of the Japanese cultural events and cuisine, he said.
The Embassy of Japan in India has come in as a strategic partner in this year’s event.
Alongside, there will be stalls showcasing the region’s food, arts and crafts and several Japanese cultural events and a Japanese Food Pavilion in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in India.
Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director IBSD, said during the festival, visitors can enjoy the full Cherry Blossom view in Shillong.
There will be pink and white cherry blossoms all along the roadside and the famous Ward’s Lake, he said.
Sahoo also mentioned that besides being a cultural mega event, the Cherry Blossom Festival generates huge employment and revenues for various cities and countries.
Lakhs of visitors from different parts of the world come to Japan, New Zealand and parts of Korea to witness Cherry Blossom, Sahoo said.
In Washington DC alone, the festival brings more than 1.5 million visitors and brings in $400 million in revenue every year, he added.
He also mentioned that the India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2017 was celebrated to mark the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. It attracted more than one lakh visitors and boosted the local economy by 300%, he said.
The festival this year will celebrate the unique mass flowering of autumn Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events in Shillong.
Visitors can enjoy fashion shows, rock concerts, beauty pageant and even compete in an amateur golf tournament.
