Meghalaya aims to boost its tourism industry by establishing it as a regulated sector of the economy. The state government’s Tourism Department is working to create conditions that will attract visitors from around the world to experience the region’s unique culture.
To achieve this, the government plans to invest more capital in the industry, strengthen ties to financial institutions, and focus on capacity training for stakeholders. Meghalaya is known for its stunning landscapes and diverse tourism content, and the government anticipates that an increase in the number of tourists, both domestic and international, will visit the state in the near future.
The state’s tourist industry is expected to see an increase in visitors, with an estimated 15 lakh tourists expected by 2024, up from 12.7 lakh in 2019. The government is working to improve facilities and infrastructure in a sustainable manner, including initiatives such as ecotourism and promoting locally made products. A study of the tourism industry has identified a lack of accommodations as one of the main issues. In order to attract visitors, the government has organized events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Shillong Literary Festival.
The state also recently hosted the Megha Kayak Festival, attracting top kayakers from around the world.
The government has also launched a number of programs to improve the tourist industryā€™s infrastructure and train workers to serve visitors better. If the proper training is provided, the tourism industry may be a significant source of new jobs. The departmentā€™s mission training partners include IL&FS Education, B-ABLE, Avenues, ETPL India, IHM & FCI, etc. In the previous several months, about 1410 young people have been taught in these skills by the training partners, and 574 of them have been put in various roles within and outside the state. The education and development of two thousand young people is the objective for the current year.
Homestay Scheme was launched to provide opportunity to the skilled citizens to start their own venture by constructing and managing a homestay. The Homestay Scheme was designed with convergence with the PMEGP Program to facilitate construction of 2500 Homestays across the state to give an impetus to the tourism ecosystem of the state. With a subsidy of upto 70%, the scheme will facilitate faster creation of the tourism facilities within the state.
Source: T3 News Network
