Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has unveiled a suite of tourism-focused initiatives, including the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Homestay Mission and the Community led Tourism Infrastructure Scheme, aimed at positioning the state as a hub for responsible and authentic travel experiences.
Coinciding with World Tourism Day 2025, Sangma also launched the OneConnect Meghalaya Tourism Helpline and a revamped official tourism website, providing a unified platform for travellers’ needs across the state.
Highlighting the Homestay Mission, the Chief Minister proposed an innovative approach: using registered homestays as decentralized “Games Villages” for upcoming National Games. “It is better that we invest in standardized homestays, which will serve as Games Villages during the events and continue as tourist accommodations afterward,” Sangma said.
The CM underscored Meghalaya’s tourism growth, noting that domestic arrivals have risen to 1.6 million, with a target of creating 50,000 new jobs within three years. Infrastructure expansion is a major focus, with 210 ongoing projects worth Rs 3,625 crore and an additional Rs 260 crore sanctioned to develop Cherrapunji (Sohra) as a tourist destination.
Sangma emphasized financial incentives under the Homestay Scheme, offering a 70% state subsidy and an additional Rs 50,000 incentive for existing homestay owners who register. Since 2023, nearly 800 homestays have been sanctioned, 237 are fully operational, generating over 1,600 direct jobs.
Other tourism initiatives include a plan for eight 5-star hotels by 2030, expansion of Umroi Airport by 2027 to facilitate direct flights, and leveraging the “concert economy” in Shillong, which has already generated Rs 133 crore from a Rs 23.5 crore government investment.
The OneConnect Meghalaya Tourism Helpline, India’s first multilingual tourist service, operates daily from 8 am to 8 pm, assisting visitors with safety, logistics, and local experiences.
Through these measures, the Meghalaya government aims to boost tourism, create employment, and establish a sustainable, human-centric travel ecosystem across the state.