SHILLONG, July 16: Tourism is the mainstay for a huge section of the rural and urban population of Meghalaya. COVID-19 has dealt a brutal blow to the tourism and hospitality sector which has been left bleeding since the month of March last year. The tourism and hospitality industry has a spiral effect and boosts other businesses too such as farming, livestock rearing, transport et al.
Since the lockdown last year, the burgeoning homestays in Sohra, the favoured destination for tourists and also several newly discovered destinationsg have remained empty, leaving the owners of those homestays out on a limb.
Hope is now kindled with the Meghalaya Government considering opening up limited tourism in the state. Government has asked the deputy commissioners to explore the idea by engaging with tour operators and other stakeholders in the tourism sector.
Speaking to media persons after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the state, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the DCs have been asked to hold consultations with stakeholders to assess if the state can open up limited tourism, which would allow entry to vaccinated tourists and the local tourists.
Stating that the tourism industry has suffered due to the pandemic, Sangma said that the government is mulling on relaxing restrictions without increasing the risk of COVID-19. In addition, the government is also examining the idea of allowing inter-district movement of vehicles, and by next week, the government will take a decision in this regard. The chief minister feels that interstate movement can now be slowly relaxed.
The tourism sector in the state has taken a hit for over a year now due to the pandemic and people depending on tourism are looking up to the government for hope and assistance.
The chief minister said that government has also decided to increase the movement of commercial vehicles in the city with 30 per cent movement being allowed even as he added that business activities in the state are picking up.
Stating that the focus now is on vaccination, the chief minister stated that the state government is now contemplating touching the daily figure of 20,000 shots per day. “If we can do that, we will be able to saturate our population by September-October this year,” the chief minister said.
Meanwhile, the state government is also contemplating relaxing norms on holding marriage ceremonies. The DCs have been told to hold discussions in this regard with different religious groups.
