‘Positive vibes again in Meghalaya’

State still the favourite, safe summer destination for tourists: Minister

A Sikh man with his child in Shillong during the curfew following clashes earlier this month.

Meghalaya is still a favourite among tourists and the improving law and order situation in Shillong, which witnessed tension early this month, has brought about “positive vibes” aiding tourist inflow, said State Tourism Minister Metbah Lyngdoh.

Clashes in the first week of June between Khasis and Sikhs in the city’s Punjabi Lane area had briefly affected tourism in Shillong, popularly known as ‘Scotland of the East’.

“The State is still a favourite and a safe summer destination for tourists in the Northeast region,” Mr. Lyngdoh said.

Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation general manager P. Das said that government-run hotels, which include Hotel Pinewood, the Convention Centre and a chain of Orchid Hotels with over 100 beds, are “100% occupied” at present.

He, however, said that there were no visitors in all the properties of the MTDC in the first week of June.

Federation of Shillong Hotels’ general secretary A.M. Lanong said that as the hill city returns to normalcy, tourists are slowly flocking to the State again in the summer break.

The Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum has appealed to the State government seeking removal of the suspension of mobile Internet services since June 16.

MRTF chairman Alan West said the suspension has affected the livelihood of people dependent on Internet connectivity across the State.

Mr. Lyngdoh said the government is firm in dealing with the situation, which arose due to an altercation between Sikh residents in the city’s Punjabi Lane area, and Khasi drivers of the State-run buses.