Tourist numbers in Meghalaya touched 16 lakh in 2024, an astonishing 33 per cent increase from the 12 lakh in pre-Covid times, the Chief Minister told the Assembly during his presentation of the 2025-26 budget today.
Conrad K Sangma said that more rooms need to be built to further accommodate further increases in numbers.
“Under the Meghalaya Tourism Homestay Scheme, 622 projects have been sanctioned in the last two years and about 2,000 rooms are under construction,” he told the Assembly. “The scheme provides 70 per cent subsidy in rural areas, 35 per cent of which is borne by the state government and the balance of 35 per cent is leveraged from the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program. To further support the homestay entrepreneurs, I am increasing the state government subsidy from 35 per cent to 45 percent to benefit 2,000 new homestay entrepreneurs from 2025-26.”
Another thrust area for the state government is strengthening of existing tourist destinations and development of new ones.
In 2024-25 the state government has initiated new tourism projects worth Rs 450 crore, Sangma said. These include the redevelopment of Umiam lake, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism destination at Mawkhanu, tourist hub and skywalk at Dympep, Umngot riverfront development at Dawki, waterfall trails experience at Sohra, adventure park at Dom Jynru, Kynshi and hospitality complexes at Nongmahir, Mawsynram and Pelga.
In the next financial year, projects costing Rs 600 crore will be taken up, the CM said. “These include the Rain and Bamboo Interpretation Centre at Mawsynram, the Wari Chora Cultural Centre, the Living Root Museum at Wahlyngkhat, the Coffee Experience Centre at Marngar, luxury resorts at Adokgre, Sohiong, Nongnah and tourist experiential hub at Nartiang.”
Convention-cum-hospitality centres will be built in the district headquarters of East Garo Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills, North Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills, East Jaintia Hills, Southwest Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi.
Grants in aid of upto Rs 25 lakh is being provided to communities to build and upgrade tourism infrastructure. “For 2025-26 we will take up 100 new projects through community participation,” Sangma stated.
Festivals and concerts that the government has brought or encouraged have “created hundreds” of employment opportunities and made the state India’s “most desired tourist destination”.
For 2025-26, infrastructure projects worth Rs 100 crore will be implemented to further arts, crafts and culture, the CM added. These include the construction of indigenous cultural centre of the Seng Khasi Kmie at Shillong, the Traditional Music Centre at Wahkhen, Khasi Cultural Heritage Centre at Sohra and the Garo Cultural Heritage Centre at Mandalgre.
