Paul says incident involving Assam tourist vehicles was duly addressed
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 2: Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Monday said the recent incident where members of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front prevented Assam-registered vehicles from entering tourist spots in Sohra and Dawki has been effectively addressed.
Stating that the state government had taken immediate actions to resolve the matter, he said it was an isolated incident. He also said that the incident was thoroughly discussed in the Assembly.
“Today, I can safely claim that the footfall (of tourists) has not only come back to normal but has actually increased,” Lyngdoh said.
He was confident that the upcoming festivals, including the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Bryan Adams concert, will attract large crowds from across the country.
“As we proceed with various festivals, all of these are going to attract huge footfalls. I am confident every responsible and well-meaning citizen of Meghalaya will ensure that people behave in a manner which is conducive to peace and tranquility,” he stated.
Looking back at last year’s statistics, he said the state saw around 50,000 tourists per day during the festival, totaling nearly 1 lakh visitors. He expects these numbers to further increase this year for the two-day festival as Meghalaya continues to enhance its tourism offerings.
The minister was addressing the media following a day-long Tourism Ministers’ Conclave held in Shillong on Monday. It brought together key tourism officials from various states.
During the conclave, Union Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced the formulation of a new scheme dedicated to promoting border area tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Highlighting the unique challenges faced by the border states, Shekhawat said, “We are working on a new scheme for Border Area Tourism, in close consultation with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs. We have requested all the states and stakeholders to submit their proposals to formalise this new scheme.”
“We have noted the difficulties raised by the northeastern states, particularly in terms of infrastructure and road connectivity, and we are committed to addressing them,” Shekhawat assured.
Responding to questions about the impact of Manipur violence on tourism, he acknowledged that while other northeastern states have seen an increase in tourism footfall post-Covid, Manipur continues to experience sporadic violence which has adversely affected its tourism sector.
Nagaland Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along praised the Cherry Blossom Festival, noting its positive impact on tourism across the Northeast.
“The success of Meghalaya’s Cherry Blossom Festival is a success for the entire Northeast. It’s not just about economics, it’s about creating cultural connections and resonating with people across states,” he said.
Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi, Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona, and representatives from Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura and Jharkhand also attended the conclave.