Meghalaya tour operators question state government after 30 per cent bookings cancelled

After members of pressure group Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) stopped and sent back many Assam-registered vehicles traveling to Sohra and Dawki on July 26, Meghalaya tour operators called the state government into question for giving a free run to the pressure groups, especially in Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts.

They said that the incident had caused a cancellation of 30 per cent of the accommodation bookings apart from revenue generated by indirect stakeholders. They further expect another 50 per cent cancellation of tours and activities from July 27 as news of this incident has travelled all across the country.

The panel of tour operators comprised of Tour Operators Association of Meghalaya (TOAM), Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum (MRTF), Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF), Tour Guides Association of Meghalaya, Central Body (TGAM -CB), Federation of Shillong Hotels (FOSH), Department of Tourism & Travel Management, Martin Luther Christian University, and Department of Tourism & Hotel Management, NEHU.

Aiming to combat influx into the state, Meghalaya pressure groups have been illegally conducting document checks of migrant labourers in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills for the past few weeks. They have also sent back over 2500 labourers during the same. 

Meanwhile, pressure groups have also established check gates on the state’s borders to check documents of migrants and tourists and demanded entry and registration papers from tourists in the state.

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In a joint statement, the tour operators condemned the illegal actions of the pressure group and said, “We, the immediate stakeholders in the tourism industry strongly condemn the unfortunate incident that happened this morning where tourists and travellers have been illegally stopped from proceeding to the various tourist spots in Sohra and Dawki region by so called NGO/pressure group. As you are aware, the tourism industry in the state has reached its momentum in the last few years and today’s single incident has affected the arduous work that we as stakeholders have build up over the years.”

The tour operators also expressed shock on the current state of lawlessness in Shillong where they said that the pressure groups are having a free run in the State and behaving like the government. 

“We, the tourism stakeholders are in a state of shock to observe that various local NGOs/Pressure groups are having a free run in the State and behaving like the government,” they said.

Pointing that the recent incident has affected years of building the tourism industry in the state and affected direct and indirect stakeholders who have invested in the tourism industry, the tour operators urged the pressure groups to refrain from such embarrassing and illegal acts of intimidation to tourists and travellers who are in no way involved in the politics of the state.

“We have been mere silent spectators on the various issues of lawlessness in and around Shillong and Ri Bhoi areas which have resulted in violence and intimidation of workers who are involved in tourism infrastructure works. These incidents of lawlessness have reached a level that even the tourists visiting the state today were not even spared. Another fallout of the above, is the recent Advisory of the US Government warning their citizens against visiting Meghalaya – this does not result in discouraging the US tourists only but gives a loud message to all foreign as well as domestic tourists desiring to visit Meghalaya,” they further stated.

The tour operators also vehemently condemned all the acts of intimidation and violence and demanded action as per law upon the individuals and organisations responsible for the prevailing lawlessness in order to restore faith in the tourists visiting the state.

At the same time, they also apologised to tourists on behalf of the peace loving people of Meghalaya for the inconvenience caused to their travel plans and urged them to visit Meghalaya again.