By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 5: While the state government is yet to release official figures for 2025, hoteliers in Meghalaya estimate that approximately 1.5 million tourists visited the state this year.
Parambir Singh Sehdave, president of the Federation of Shillong Hotels, said on Monday that while the tourism sector is evolving—boosted by events like the Cherry Blossom Festival—the footfall could have been higher if not for several disruptions.
Sehdave noted that travel was hampered by misinformation surrounding the Raghuvanshi murder case, the impact of the Ahmedabad plane crash on national travel trends, and fears regarding landslides following disasters in other hilly regions of the country.
Addressing local challenges, hoteliers identified traffic congestion as a primary complaint among visitors. They expressed hope that the completion of the Western Bypass and the Shillong flyover would eventually alleviate the issue.
Internal operational hurdles were also highlighted, particularly the scarcity of potable water. Many hotels in Shillong now rely on borewells or private water tankers. Additionally, erratic power supply and a recent spike in electricity bills—attributed to new “excess demand” and “excess energy” charges—have nearly doubled operational costs for many establishments.
Regional performance remains mixed. Sohra has seen significant growth, with over 300 tourist properties and a surge in new restaurants.
Conversely, Dawki continues to struggle due to prolonged delays in the construction of the Shillong-Dawki road. Sehdave noted that several hotels and restaurants in the area were forced to close over the last few years because of the infrastructure delays.
