Shillong: Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma is optimistic about Meghalaya’s rising tourism potential. Pointing to a linkhttp://www.skyscanner.co.in/news/tips/secret-travel-destinations/ which ranks the best tourism destinations in the world, Dr Sangma said that Meghalaya has been ranked the sixth best tourism destination.
“This is Meghalaya’s answer to the ban on coal mining and other destructive and extractive activities,” the Chief Minister observed.
Skyscanner a World Tourism internet portal lists Ukraine’s, Tunnel of Love at the top of their list followed by Aescher Hotel Switzerland, Thingvallavatn Lake, Iceland, Provence in France, The Great Blue Hole, Belize and the Double-Decker Living Root Bridge of Meghalaya which comes sixth on the list.
Sangma said that the Tourism Department needs to be much more imaginative and creative to understand the preferences of tourists, especially international tourists who look for adventure and don’t mind spending if they can find good touristic destinations that are run by reliable agencies. In this regard, he stated that the Department needs to find people with a flair for promoting good tourist destinations and partner with them. “We need more hotels and home stay facilities especially in the rural outbacks of Meghalaya. I have seen that if those home stay facilities are occupied even 100 days out of 365 days, people can make a decent livelihood and i know that the occupancy rates of hotels and home-stays today are very high and I am excited about this growth,” Dr Sangma said, adding that the climate of peace and stability is also one factor that has encouraged tourists to visit Meghalaya.
The CM said that the state would directly promote it own tourism potentials through the internet and by linking with international tour promoters.
When asked about the Hotel Crowborough a project of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation at a prime location in Police Bazar, which has been pending for at least two decades, Dr Sangma said that was a project that started on a wrong footing and has been mishandled many times over.
“We are trying to see how best to get this project on track,” Dr Sangma said, adding that it is unfortunate that the other group which was to start a 5-star hotel in collaboration with JW Marriot is also facing funds constraints.
