By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 27: Meghalaya recorded the footfall of more foreign tourists than domestic tourists in recent years, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said on Wednesday.
“You will be surprised to know that we have had more international travellers in Meghalaya compared to domestic tourists according to statistics,” he told journalists on the sidelines of the celebration of World Tourism Day here.
He however did not quote any figure to substantiate his claim.
Stating that Meghalaya has emerged as a tourism destination, Lyngdoh said the fact that it was conferred the best tourism village (Kongthong) on the World Tourism Day speaks volumes of where tourism in the state has reached.
“We have been able to directly employ around 15,000 people. The number indirectly will be more than that. So, that is a major success story for the state’s tourism industry,” he said.
Talking about projects like Shillong ropeway which will give leverage to the tourism industry, he said, “We have got all clearances from defence, forest department etc. Now, we are at the stage of calling for expression of interest. Hopefully, the project will commence before the year ends,” the minister said.
Stating that better air and railway connectivity will improve the growth of the industry, he said, “Connectivity is one but more important is also the kind of tourism that we are going to promote. This is why, in association with Outlook (magazine), we have introduced the responsible tourism awards. The idea is that we encourage responsible tourists to enter Meghalaya.”
He said close to 15 lakh tourists visit the state every year and if there are more airports and there is railway connectivity, the figure will go up.
“The state government is moving for the upgradation of both Shillong and Baljek airports. As regards railway, you are aware of the various issues involved,” he added.
Lyngdoh dismissed any impact of Inner Line Permit (ILP) on the state’s tourism sector.
“I do not see any such problem. It has not hampered Israel or the United States why should it hamper Meghalaya,” he said.
Elaborating his statement, Lyngdoh said Israel is very difficult for visitors to access but the tourism revenue of Israel is amongst the top in the world. “Theirs is a system which is more rigorous than the ILP implemented in some of the states…” he said.
Pressure groups in Meghalaya have been crying hoarse over their demand for implementation of ILP to check entry of illegal immigrants in the state.
Last month, a high-level delegation led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his personal intervention in implementing ILP in Meghalaya.
The delegation submitted a resolution, adopted unanimously in the state Assembly in 2019 for ILP’s implementation, to the PM and sought his intervention.
The state government has been awaiting a response from the Ministry of Home Affairs on its demand for ILP implementation in Meghalaya.