Tura, February 10: Meghalaya Tourism Minister Timothy D Shira on Tuesday announced a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s tourism sector, with a strong focus on infrastructure development and private sector participation.
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| Meghalaya Tourism Minister Timothy D Shira |
Addressing reporters, Shira said the government is taking concrete steps to promote tourism across Meghalaya. As part of this effort, a ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday to hand over land in Tura - earlier known as Polo Orchid - to an international hotel group for the development of a five-star hotel.
The proposed hotel project, estimated at around ₹40 crore, will be developed on 1–2 acres of land under a public-private partnership model. Shira described the project as a potential game-changer for tourism in Tura and the Garo Hills region.
Connectivity improvement is also a key component of the tourism strategy. Shira pointed out that while Guwahati is currently the nearest airport, the upcoming Baljek Airport will significantly enhance access to Tura by reducing the distance to just 30 kilometres, making the town more attractive to tourists.
In addition to the hotel project, several other tourism-related developments are in the pipeline. These include a ₹23 crore tourist lodge in Siju, a ₹23 crore convention centre in Resubelpara, and a ₹23 crore development project in Mondalgre.
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Emphasising the role of local communities in sustainable tourism, the minister highlighted initiatives in the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, where residents have taken responsibility for maintaining cleanliness and managing waste. “The community is now taking interest to manage it,” Shira said, adding that measures are being enforced to prevent littering and open defecation, supported by the provision of toilets.
The tourism department believes that a combination of infrastructure investment, improved connectivity, private sector involvement, and community participation will help position Meghalaya as a premier tourism destination in the Northeast.
