Shillong, May 6: Tourism in Meghalaya can only work in the long-term if all stakeholders work towards making the visiting experience a successful one.
These remarks were made by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today while attending the Empowerment of Tourism Champions of Meghalaya event at Orchid Lake, Umiam.
Organised by the Tourism Department, the programme brought together entrepreneurs, artisans, students, community leaders and beneficiaries from across the state.
The event also highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen tourism through community-based entrepreneurship, infrastructure development, skill enhancement and livelihood generation.
Speaking at the event, Sangma said tourism cannot succeed through the efforts of the government alone, nor through the efforts of individual hotel owners, taxi operators, restaurant owners or other stakeholders working in isolation. “Tourism thrives only when every stakeholder plays their part,” he said, adding that despite challenges, Meghalaya has made a strong beginning in building a robust and complete tourism ecosystem, that inspires travellers to choose Meghalaya as their destination. “When a family sits together and decides where they want to travel, Meghalaya must be visible. Meghalaya must be attractive. Meghalaya must be a destination that naturally comes to mind,” he said.
He stated that visibility alone is not enough, and that tourists also consider infrastructure, connectivity, safety, comfort and the overall quality of experience before choosing a destination.
Tourism Minister Timothy D Shira said the programme represented far more than a felicitation ceremony and reflected the larger transformation taking place across Meghalaya. He said that when tourism was identified as a priority sector, the vision was to make it a strong driver of economic growth and a meaningful source of livelihood for the people.
Shira informed that over 150 tourism projects are currently being implemented across the state with investments worth thousands of crores of rupees, alongside growing participation from the private sector.
The programme featured audio-visual presentations highlighting the participation of 80 artisans from Meghalaya at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, where Meghalaya was featured as the theme state, as well as an exposure visit of tourism stakeholders from Sohra to Ekta Nagar.
A bravery award was also presented by the CM to Teiborlang Pakma for rescuing a drowning person at Ward’s Lake.
During the event, the Chief Minister announced new beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Homestay Mission and recognised successful beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Homestay Scheme-PMEGP. Launched in September 2025, the Mission aims to create 3,000 new homestays by 2028 and generate over 15,000 employment opportunities across the state. So far, 80 homestay applications have been approved, of which 55 from the Khasi, Jaintia, and Ri-Bhoi region have been sanctioned financial assistance amounting to Rs 3.85 crore.
The government also announced a major push towards improving public amenities at tourist destinations across the state. Toilet facilities are currently being constructed, renovated, or upgraded at 84 tourist sites under various schemes.
Students of the Institute of Hotel Management Shillong were also handed scholarship certificates under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Hospitality Scholarship Scheme. Till date, 21 students have received full course fee scholarships worth Rs 3.67 lakh each, while 37 students have received annual stipends of Rs 32,000 under the reserved category across the 2023–24 to 2025–26 academic sessions.
