SHILLONG, July 17: A Working Group on Heritage Tourism will be constituted and two pilot Heritage Tourism Labs will be established to develop a community-driven framework for Meghalaya, following a workshop held by Asian Confluence and the Association for Conservation & Tourism (ACT) on Friday.
The workshop, titled ‘Initiating a Heritage Tourism Policy for Meghalaya’, brought together 27 representatives from 18 organisations, including policymakers, researchers and heritage practitioners, to outline a sustainable roadmap for the sector.
The two pilot labs will be set up at the Asian Confluence Centre in Shillong and the Cherrapunji Holiday Resort. These platforms will serve as incubators for developing and promoting heritage tourism initiatives. The newly formed Working Group will meet regularly to implement recommendations from the session.
During the workshop, discussions centered on promoting regenerative tourism, that is community-led and supported by robust policy. Participants stressed that such a framework is essential to safeguard the state’s cultural identity while generating sustainable livelihoods.
The programme opened with remarks by ACT founder Raj Basu, who spoke on the importance of linking tourism with local culture and community welfare. The session was chaired by The Shillong Times Editor Padma Shri Patricia Mukhim.
Asian Confluence stated it would continue to facilitate partnerships aimed at balancing sustainable development with the preservation of the region’s unique cultural and natural assets.
