Meghalaya CM stresses on new kind of tourism due to COVID-19

Shillong Today

Shillong, June 13: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the state needed to adapt to a new kind of tourism due to the COVID-19 situation.

“The idea is to work in future in terms of how we need to adapt to tourism when it comes to the COVID-19 situation,” Sangma said after inaugurating the ‘isolated cottages’ called the Orchid Log Houses.

The Orchid Log Houses, overlooking the beautiful hills of Mawdiangdiang in the New Shillong Township, funded under Swadesh Darshan of the Union Ministry of Tourism.

“It is important to have cottages like these which are more isolated in one way and at the same time we need to ensure that the standard of infrastructure goes up. The experience of tourist is better and at the same time, we need to ensure that our people who are going to host tourists are trained,” Sangma said.l

“We need to start preparing for it, which also means that we need to change the model and the way we look at tourism and the entire experience of tourism for the tourists,” Sangma said.

With the inauguration of the Orchid Log Houses, the Chief Minister informed that the government has also started a training programme and the government is doing the soft skill training and the software for the people who are part of the tourism industry.

He further informed that around 25-30 youth would be trained in the next 15-20 days, saying that the idea is to really improve their overall qualities and train them in what is required for better tourism and improve the experience of the tourists”.

“So this really is what we are planning towards how to adapt in the coming days in the COVID-19 situation but at the same time to ensure that our tourism sector moves forward,” he iterated.

“The Canopy walkway and the log houses will be a sought-after tourist attraction,” Sangma expressed optimism.

Earlier, the Chief Minister visited the scenic Golf Course in the city and held a meeting in the open with Health and Family Welfare Minister A L Hek and officials of the Shillong Golf Club and discussed ways and measures to strengthen infrastructure facilities.

The Shillong Golf Course, also known as “Gleneagles of the East” as it is one of the few natural golf courses in Asia.

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