SHILLONG, June 28: Meghalaya’s tourism is apparently under duress owing to the ongoing law and order situation in Manipur as the number of tourists entering the state has dipped in the last month or so.
It may be mentioned that Manipur has been in turmoil due to ethnic clashes across the Northeastern state for more than a month now.
Members of the Hoteliers Federation of Shillong confirmed that the situation in Manipur has taken a toll on the tourism industry in Meghalaya as people from other parts of the country perceive that there is a law and order situation across the region.
Some hoteliers said that tourists are unaware that Manipur is far away from Shillong, and are hence avoiding visit to Shillong.
They are however optimistic that the situation would improve next month once the summer vacation begins in the country. Usually by June, a sizable number of tourists start arriving in Shillong to beat the scorching heat, they said.
A person who runs a tourist cab agency also confirmed that the flow of tourists has come down due to the situation in Manipur
He claimed that many of the resorts and guesthouses in Sohra are vacant, while lamenting that his tourist cabs have had no bookings in the last two weeks or so.
