By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 31: As 2025 draws to a close, Sohra-Cherrapunjee has emerged as one of Meghalaya’s most striking tourism stories of the year, recording an unprecedented flow of visitors during the Christmas season — a scale unseen even in earlier peak years.
Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum president Alan West Kharkongor said the occupancy levels this winter marked a clear departure from past trends.
According to him, the entire Sohra belt remained fully booked, a situation he said had not occurred earlier especially during New Years.
While Sohra has historically attracted seasonal crowds, Kharkongor said the volume witnessed this year stood out sharply.
He estimated that the region now has around 300 hotels and guest houses, with more establishments having come up recently, some of which are yet to be formally documented.
Rejecting the idea of a sudden spike, Kharkongor described the rise in footfall as a gradual trend that peaked in 2025. He said this year’s surge felt “special,” reflecting Sohra’s growing national visibility rather than a short-term holiday rush.
In this context, he referred to the murder of Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi, a case that drew widespread media attention earlier in the year.
Kharkongor said that while the incident was tragic, it inadvertently brought Sohra and Cherrapunjee into the national spotlight.
He observed that many people across the country became aware of the region as a tourist destination following extensive coverage of the case, describing this unintended visibility as a “blessing in disguise” for tourism.
Beyond publicity, Kharkongor attributed the strong year-end turnout to the region’s unique Christmas atmosphere.
He said the landscape of Sohra, combined with church services, bell chimes, and traditional Christmas celebrations, offers visitors an experience distinct from other parts of India.
According to him, this seasonal character has increasingly positioned Shillong and Sohra as destinations specifically associated with Christmas tourism.
Calling it one of the best periods for the sector in recent years, Kharkongor said the overall mood among tourism stakeholders was one of cautious optimism as the year closed, with 2025 leaving behind a clear marker of how rapidly Meghalaya’s winter tourism profile is evolving.
