By H.H.Mohrmen
Thanks to the Central and State governments, Shillong is going to be the rendezvous for tourism promoters from around the world come November. The Government of Meghalaya is going to host the International Tourism Mart (ITM) from November 21 to 23. Tourism can truly help improve the economy of the state, but the question is, are we promoting the right kind of tourism in the state? While the government’s efforts are praiseworthy, they also need to engage in soul-searching regarding the type of tourism that the state is promoting. The pertinent question that the people of the state need to ask is – what model of tourism is the government promoting?
Tourism Policy
While it can be argued that, tourism in Meghalaya was not planned but grew organically, that does not mean that the government should not try to manage and control it. The government now has a policy, and the core guiding principle of tourism in Meghalaya is Sustainable and Responsible Tourism. The pertinent question is whether the state is even moving in that direction. In the policy, it is mentioned that the state is promoting high-value and low-volume tourism, but where is the evidence of this claim? In fact, we are witnessing the opposite of what is mentioned in the policy. The policy document also claims that the government is encouraging low-impact tourism, which is also sustainable, but it’s sad to see that the reality on the ground is otherwise. Conservation of heritage and natural assets is another aspect of the policy, but look at what has happened to spots like Nartiang, which is the equivalent of the Taj Mahal on the tourist map of the country.
Single-day Visit
Mass Tourism
Do we really believe that the kind of tourism the government promotes is good for the state? It is now an accepted fact that the majority of tourists who visit Meghalaya are “Maggi Noodles Tourists,” borrowing from Patricia Mukhim’s description of the kind of tourism that is popular in the state now. Single-day mass tourism is not sustainable and does not benefit the locals in the state. In fact, it only produces more carbon footprints, which are harmful to the environment, and generates waste that is not manageable. The question that the Tourism Department should ask is: what is the percentage of people in the state who are benefiting from the sector? How much has it helped those who are engaged in the activity to enhance their income?
Waste Management
Although waste management is one aspect of the tourism policy of the state, in reality, this issue is not being addressed, and it only looks good on paper. We have yet to see any initiative to begin waste management in the tourist spots of the state. The roads are presently an eyesore to many because our roads are littered with waste. We have no control over the taxi drivers who ferry tourists to the different destinations to ensure there is no littering on the road. In fact, this should not be a problem because all the tourist taxis are under the control and supervision of the state transport department. But due to the lack of a proper policy, the roads in the state, particularly those to the tourist spots, are littered with garbage. The need of the hour for the State is to have a mechanism in place for waste management. Training the drivers who ferry tourists to and from the tourist spots on the importance of not littering on the road is another exercise that the government should explore, which may help address the waste problem.
The most important question that needs to be asked is whether Meghalaya’s tourism model is sustainable. Are the tourism products the state promotes sustainable? This question is more relevant because tourism in Meghalaya is more nature-based, where nature is the USP of the place of attraction.
Tourism and Green
Investment
The faculty and the students of Tourism and Hotel Management of the North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) invited me as part of the Department’s observation of World Tourism Day to share my thoughts on the theme, “Tourism and Green Investment.” We discussed green investment and the challenges involves. I also shared my opinion on green investment. We also spent time discussing the Meghalaya Tourism policy and evaluated it in relation to the realities at the ground level. We also looked at ways forward to develop Meghalaya tourism vis-à-vis green investment.
So what is Green Investment? The climate crisis has also produced many new terminologies, and green investment is one such term. These terms and concepts related to climate change can be complicated and often remain beyond the reach of common people. In light of the fast-paced changes in climate discussions, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has come up with a climate dictionary, but the term green investment was not included in the dictionary.
Definition of Green
Investments
Generally, the term green investments refer to the allocation of financial resources to projects or companies that focus on sustainable practices, environmentally friendly technologies, and the conservation of natural resources. The goal of green investments is to support businesses that contribute positively to the environment while generating financial returns for investors. How are green investments important for the Environment and Economy? Green investments play a crucial role in the transition to a low-carbon economy, helping combat climate change and promoting sustainable development. These investments also have the potential to create new jobs, drive innovation, and foster long-term economic growth (Zach Stein Carbon Collective).
One Perspective on
Green investment
Green investment is still at a nascent stage; there are grey areas, and people are still not clear on how it operates. There are some who are of the opinion that the West has destroyed their nature and the environment, and now they are paying other countries for protecting and conserving the environment. They are of the opinion that green investment is like an opportunity for sinners to wash their sins. It is also alleged that it is just another top-down approach where the funders push their plans or projects on the beneficiaries that they think need to be done. Afforestation, solar energy, and other initiatives that they think will help combat climate change are popular subjects on their agendas. In such a situation, we even forget the indigenous knowledge system that has made the people succeed in protecting and conserving the environment in the first place. At times, we even neglect the Indigenous agriculture system, which has not only survived the test of time but is supposed to be the answer to the global food problem now.
Tourism Model the State Needs to Promote
In promoting tourism where international agencies’ funds are used, Indigenous People’s rights should take precedence over anything else. The interests of corporations or any foreign entities should not take precedence, and the rights of indigenous people should not be compromised. The government should say that mass tourism, which is just sightseeing and picnicking with not much benefit for the locals, is not what the state needs. The government needs to stick to the core guiding principle of its policy, which is sustainable and responsible, and promoting high-value, low-volume tourism in Meghalaya. The government should also have a mechanism in place where it can not only manage the waste that tourism generates but, more importantly, manage the carrying capacity of the spots.
Conservation of heritage and natural assets is another important aspect of tourism that needs to be taken care of, but we should also build tourism on our existing traditions and the strength of the community because, in the context of Meghalaya, community participation is crucial for the success of the project. In the context of Meghalaya, where much of the land is in the hands of the clans or private individuals, taking the landowners into confidence is also very important.
The Land of Festivals
Meghalaya already has many traditional festivals that are unique to the place, but instead of that, the government is promoting new kinds of festivals with foreign names and concepts. Except for a few major traditional festivals, local festivals are not being promoted by the government. We have our own flowers like the different orchids, the pitcher plant ‘tiew rakod’, and even unique flowers like the ‘latu thin,’ ‘tiew dohmaw,’ and ‘lasubon,’ which are also endemic to the region. Still, we are more enchanted by foreign flowers. Meghalaya needs to look beyond Maggi and festival tourism if it is to achieve its objective and improve the economy of the state. Hopefully, ITM will help the state steer in that direction.