SHILLONG, Sep 30: Prior to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, scores of tourists visited Meghalaya every year, but in the last two years, the tourism sector in the state has apparently taken a back seat.
Nonetheless, with pandemic losing its grip on the state and the gradual reopening of tourism, the flow of tourists in Meghalaya has seen a slight increase although the numbers are far from what it used to be.
An official at the Tourism department said as of now, around 14,500 tourists have entered Meghalaya from September 1 till date via Umling facilitation centre while a small number of tourists have also checked in the state through the Shillong airport.
The department, however, does not have details about the number of tourists that arrived via Khliehriat area as there is no facilitation centre for tourists there.
Moreover, president of the Tour Operators Association of Meghalaya, B Blah, has stated that domestic tourists have started arriving in the state but the numbers are still not exponential.
It may also be mentioned that over the last few years, a spate of agitations over several issues and an overall sense of disharmony in the hill state have contributed to the decline in tourist footfall, which prior to this phenomenon would range between 7 and 9 lakh.
In regard to this, Blah stressed that the benefits of tourism should come to the local people even as he added that a peaceful environment is the prerequisite for tourism to thrive in the state.
He said the next 2-3 months, when festivities will be at its peak, will be crucial for the tourism sector and pressed for no agitations or other problems during that period.
Meanwhile, president of Federation of Shillong Hotels, Parambir Singh Sehdave, said that the flow of tourists has been quite impressive during weekends, mainly in Sohra and Dawki areas.
He also said that the tourist footfall in Shillong is expected to pick up pace in the first week of October.
