By Benjamin Lyngdoh
Tourism is a broad economic sector. It comprises of a number of businesses and services which are dependent and supplementary to one another. Normally when we talk about tourism, we mostly tend to focus on businesses such as food and beverages, accommodation, service quality and with a huge impetus on the attractions. In reality, the tourism sector is a wide combination of businesses which should be considered holistically while engaging in policymaking. As a development tool, it encompasses many other components such as labour, investment, agriculture, manufactured products, etc. These too are important but they are never talked about. For example, food and beverages would be non-existent in the absence of agricultural produce; accommodation would be incomplete without the presence of assets such as television, kitchen equipment, water heater, etc; service quality would be a non-starter without the availability of skilled labour, etc. Tourism success depends on efficiently combining all the businesses and components in policy and planning. Any piecemeal strategy such as a focus on only food or accommodation (the homestay scheme) will not bring the intended returns.
There is another reason as to why tourism is better considered as a sector. An industry is supply oriented. For example, we say automobile industry. Cars are manufactured and kept in stock and can be sold over many months in the future. The same is the case with computer hardware industry. On the contrary, tourism is demand oriented. Unless and until a tourist asks for a bowl of rice and curry, such items would not be made. Similarly, unless there is surety of a tourist checking into a homestay, guest house, hotel, resort, etc the food and beverages and all other housekeeping services would be put on hold. Apart from these points, tourism belongs to the service sector and all services are demand oriented. Amidst this conceptualisation, there is one critical business/component of tourism which has never been given much importance to by Meghalaya. It is called ‘transportation’. In any discussion on tourism and its planning, transportation is always pushed to the corner and never considered in the scheme of things. It is never on our minds. Let us take the case of agriculture. It is an important component of tourism. In its case, the agriculture and farmers’ welfare department is taking due care for development. But for tourism transportation, there has never been any serious thought. Alas, in his budget speech of 2022-23 Chief Minister Conrad Sangma declared the launch of a new program to induct 200 luxury tourist vehicles (at 50% subsidy). It is a much needed and long delayed intervention. Well, better late than never!
Now, why is transportation such a critical part of tourism? Some examples, when a tourist goes to Sohra from Shillong he spends at least five hours in a vehicle to and fro. In cases where the tourist also depends on the driver to visit various attractions, the situation becomes more demanding as it is required of the driver to be aware of the routes. During this entire journey it is also required of the driver to be well-mannered with basic etiquette and a pleasing personality. He/she must be hospitable and informative as well. In most cases it is found that the driver is also required to function as a guide. It is in this context that the announcement by Conrad Sangma is of much significance.
Tourism transportation is a specialized service that must be provided by the passionate and enthusiastic having adequate knowledge of the destination. Importantly, it is to be noted that when a tourist goes to any destination, the first point of contact is not the accommodation or restaurant or the other offerings of the place. The first point of contact is the transportation and the driver. This is the starting point of tourism. The very first ‘greet, meet and welcome’ of the driver is extremely valuable. A welcoming smile makes the day of a tourist. Moreover, a clean and well-presented vehicle adds to the delight and comfort. As such, the availability of appropriate transportation is critical for tourism success and the induction of dedicated vehicles can only be a boon for the stakeholders and tourism progress.
As pretty as it seems, it is not all rosy. The effectiveness of this intended transportation depends on a number of factors. It would be productive if people with some working knowledge of tourism are involved as drivers. This does not mean that only tourism graduates can apply for the scheme. Even those without a formal degree can apply as long as they have developed a certain understanding of the sector and how it functions. Etiquette, personality, hospitable behavior and soft skills such as problem solving and decision-making, etc., are a must. Hence, the selection process for drivers/operators may be executed over a number of stages. It could start with an evaluation of the working knowledge of the tourism sector followed by a stock-taking of etiquette, soft skills, etc., and finally the ability to efficiently and effectively drive and maintain the vehicle.
Structurally, in the past many have spoken about how Meghalaya loses out on tourism revenue as vehicles from other states freely ply to various attractions. There had been calls and efforts to stop outside vehicles in Mawiong area. These days the upcoming ISBT is being tipped as that area from which the tourist will have to board Meghalaya vehicles for further travel. However, that is not how a free market works. Things cannot and must not be forced. It reflects poorly on Meghalaya tourism. On the contrary, the lacuna is to be dealt by offering/supplying a quality transportation service and let the clientele choose for themselves. This is a professional way of dealing with it through the spirit of competition. The point to be noted here is that in the efforts to formalize and organize tourism in Meghalaya, we are provided with a golden opportunity through transportation. This is the missing piece of the puzzle.
In the ultimate analysis are 200 vehicles enough to meet the number of tourists that come to Meghalaya? The answer is no. Research tells us that on any given holiday/weekend around 100 tourist vehicles go to Mawlynnong alone. But, there is a larger picture here. These 200 vehicles will motivate other private parties to get into the transportation business. After all, tourism development is a public-private partnership effort. This is the external effect that is most likely to happen. In addition, the local taxis that have been taking the tourist around all these years can continue to do so. Plus, there is a catch. By observing how the luxury vehicles operate they too can improve upon their service quality. All in all, this focus on tourism transportation by the government can become the single biggest factor that would enormously add to the tourism experience of the visitors. It would be like an icing on the cake of wonderful food, beverages and accommodations that Meghalaya already has to offer.
(Email: [email protected]; the writer teaches at NEHU)