By Barnes Mawrie
Tourism is a major industry in most of the European countries like Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and others as well as in some Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan and South Korea. Rome alone got 10.32 million tourists in 2019 while Thailand recorded an astounding number of 39.92 million tourists in the same year. Although the pandemic has slowed down the flow of tourists, yet lately it has again picked up momentum. These countries are minting money through their tourism industry. Meghalaya which is gifted with so much potentials for tourism especially eco-tourism and cultural tourism, is actually letting down the drains all these golden opportunities of jobs and income generation. Our tourism industry is yet to be fully exploited in order to become an income generating enterprise.
There are many reasons why tourism as an industry and a means of the state’s GDP, has not picked up. When we visit the above-mentioned countries we immediately realize that the connectivity to tourist spots is so efficient. There is air connectivity as well as rail or road connectivity. This facilitates tourists to reach the desired destinations with ease and at affordable costs. Tourists who visit our state, will definitely suffer due to poor connectivity. Our Shillong Airport has not developed for the last several decades. While the Guwahati airport has already developed into an international airport with rapid expansions taking place, our own airport wears a miserable appearance. Our state government has neither the political will nor the commitment to the progress of the state. Railway connectivity is still absent in our state due to the anti-development attitude of our local NGOs and pressure groups. Our road connectivity to most tourist spots, is dismal to say the least. Those who have visited Nongkhnum, the second biggest river island in Asia, will have had a terrible experience of travelling through the approach road to the island. Many other beautiful tourist locations remain inaccessible due to poor roads. Take for example, the road to Sohra and the adjacent locations, it has not really improved as it should. Tourists all over the world have long past come to know of Sohra and it features in Lonely Planet as prominently as other known places, but sad to say the road condition is hardly improving. It is a matter of shame for the citizens of our state to see such a miserable plight. Connectivity is of primary importance for the tourism industry and it should be a priority of the government.
When we visit tourist locations in other parts of the world or even in India, what we witness is the adequate infrastructure available like hotels, restaurants, shops, eateries, souvenir shops, amusement parks for children, flower gardens and sitting places for visitors as well as efficient tourist guides. These are the things that attract tourists as they provide enough fun and diversions for them. Instead, when tourists come to Sohra, Dainthlen, Mawsmai cave or Wah Lyngksiar etc, they get disappointed with the lack of facilities in these places. They come and see the spot and they have to go back as there are no other things to amuse them and to retain them in the location. In most of the places, tourists would go hungry for lack of restaurants and eateries. Adventure sports could have been organized in most tourist locations and it would have brought in a lot of income as well as employment for youth.
The Umiam Lake is a scandalous waste of touristic opportunity. Such a picturesque lake that is right on the national highway, is absolutely underutilized. Many water sports like water biking, sea parachuting, scuba diving etc., could have been organized and attractive facilities like floating restaurants, cruising to the islands etc., could have been provided. Dinner cruises in the evening could have attracted thousands of visitors. In short, Umiam Lake should have been throbbing with life and touristic activities of all sorts and thousands of tourists should have been seen there daily. The place should have been lit up with lights all around and what a sight it would have been in the evening. Unfortunately, whoever is in-charge of the lake has not been able to maintain even the few streetlights that are there. Presently, the Lake wears a deserted look and there are hardly any tourists there except for the passers-by who stop every now and then for a selfie or photography.
Here I would like to say that the biggest hurdle to tourism industry in our state, are the local people themselves. We are very much aware that tourist spots are managed by the village authorities. The government departments be they the Tourism or Forest department, invest in developing the place with the collaboration of the villages, but the supervision is that of the villagers themselves. These villagers in their limited capacity both in material as well as manpower, are unable to develop the tourist locations on their own. At the same time they are so close-minded and inward-looking that they prohibit outsiders to invest in those places. This is the reason why our tourist spots remain undeveloped and are as primitive as ever with only the bare minimum facilities. If they were to open their places to rich investors from outside their villages, we would have seen tremendous development of these tourist locations. Thereafter a lot of employment opportunities for the local youth would have been generated and more inflow of tourists would have taken place thereby enriching the economy of the local people themselves. Outside investors should have been encouraged to come in but of course with proper MoU and MoA so as to safeguard the interests of the local population.
A blanket prohibition of prospective investors from outside, is the reason for the woes of tourism in Meghalaya. It is a sort of “dog in the manger” policy, for the local people themselves are unable to provide development while at the same time they prevent others from doing it. As long as this policy prevails, we do not hope to see any significant development in the tourism sector in the near future. The State Tourism Department should take a pro-active step in this regard. It should sit down with the village authorities and enlighten them in this matter. At the same time, our government needs to realize that tourism can be the biggest source of income for the state and so it should go on a war footing mode to improve transport and communication infrastructure. God has given our state natural beauty beyond comparison, but we should capitalize on this or else it would be like throwing pearls to the swine.