'Music is our core strength': Paul Lyngdoh on Meghalaya's boost to tourism

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh credited music as a major unique selling point (USP) for the state's tourism sector, stating, "Music is our core strength."

Speaking to India Today NE, the Meghalaya minister emphasised that the music diaspora in Meghalaya, particularly its prominence in western music since the 1950s, plays a significant role in attracting visitors.
 

Lyngdoh highlighted the unique appeal Meghalaya, contrasting it with the neighbouring state of Assam. He pointed that tourists who visit Assam definitely continue their journey to Shillong.  
 

On a sustainable approach to boosting tourism, Lyngdoh informed that the state has an annual tourism calendar, which features various festivals and events throughout the year. 
 

He also noted that the state government is aligning its efforts with the vision of transforming the Northeast into a major tourism hub.
 

Lyngdoh further pointed out the flow of tourists from Assam, who visit for wildlife tourism at Kaziranga National Park and religious tourism at Kamakhya Temple, before heading to Meghalaya to continue their travels. "It is a connected circuit," he said.
 

In response, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasised promoting tourism for the entire Northeast as a whole. 
 

Agreeing with Paul Lyngdoh, he affirmed that tourists who visit Kamakhya temple certainly head to Meghalaya, continuing their journey. 
 

"It is interlinked", Lyngdoh said, further adding that the governments of all states are collaborating closely on matters of tourism.
 

He emphasises the need to promote tourism for the entire Northeast, stating, "Our policy is the same - to promote tourism so that we can share the prosperity."