Meghalaya CM Unveils Tourism Helpline & Website for Sustainable Travel
Meghalaya CM Unveils Tourism Helpline & Website for Sustainable Travel
On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2025, Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma unveiled the OneConnect Meghalaya Tourism Helpline and a newly revamped Meghalaya Tourism website. These landmark initiatives reflect the state’s growing focus on inclusive and sustainable tourism, positioning Meghalaya as a leading hub for responsible travel in India.
A Unified Gateway for Travellers
The new Meghalaya Tourism Website serves as a one-click gateway for every traveller’s needs, offering information, itineraries, and assistance to plan seamless journeys across the state. Alongside, the One Connect Meghalaya Tourism Helpline has been introduced as the country’s first multilingual service for tourists.
Available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the helpline provides real-time guidance on safety, logistics, and hidden travel gems. Travellers can connect via toll-free number (1800-599-2026), WhatsApp and SMS (+91 76400 03050), or email (helpline@megh-tourism.com). With support in English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Khasi, Pnar, and Garo, the helpline ensures every visitor feels included and empowered.
Chief Minister’s Vision for Tourism Growth
In his keynote address, CM Conrad K. Sangma highlighted that tourism has been a top priority for the past 7.5 years, noting impressive growth with 1.6 million domestic tourist arrivals. He set a bold target of creating 50,000 new jobs within the next three years.
Backed by an infrastructure push worth INR 3,625 crores across 210 ongoing projects, and an additional ₹260 crores sanctioned by the DoNER Ministry for Sohra (Cherrapunji), Meghalaya is scaling up its tourism sector.
He emphasised the importance of the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Homestay Mission, which addresses accommodation shortages while empowering communities. These homestays will also serve as the Games Village for the upcoming National Games, before transitioning into regular tourist homestays.
Homestays, Hotels, and Airports: Building Infrastructure for the Future
The Homestay Mission Scheme is already yielding results, with 800 homestays sanctioned, 237 operational, and 1,600 direct jobs created. The scheme offers an unprecedented 70% subsidy by the State Government and an additional ₹50,000 incentive for registered owners.
Looking ahead, Meghalaya targets the development of eight 5-star hotels by 2030, including one in Tura, and the expansion of Umroi Airport by 2027 to allow direct flights from major cities.
Empowering Communities Through Tourism
The launch also included the Community-led Tourism Infrastructure Scheme, under which beneficiaries received ₹10 lakh each to strengthen local tourism assets like pathways and viewing decks. The Government pledges up to ₹25 lakhs per project to support community-driven tourism.
Currently, 47 cooperative societies are registered under the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd., with several district-level tourism societies also driving grassroots initiatives.
Dr. Vijay Kumar D., IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Department of Tourism, stated: “Tourism is all about empowerment of stakeholders on both sides. On one side, our own stakeholders in the state, then there is the demand side, which is basically the clientele who are coming into our state. All the initiatives that we are taking up are designed to empower these two sets of stakeholders.”
Tourism as Culture, Music, and Economy
Highlighting Meghalaya’s unique edge, CM Sangma spoke about the growing concert economy, revealing that a government spend of ₹23.5 crores yielded a 5.6x return of over ₹133 crores. This has branded Shillong as a premier global music destination.
He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to environmental responsibility, cultural preservation, and tourist safety, ensuring Meghalaya becomes a world-class, sustainable travel destination.
Celebrating Responsible Tourism
The event concluded with the felicitation of Outlook Magazine’s Responsible Tourism Award winners, recognising innovation and leadership in the sector.
With these ground breaking initiatives, Meghalaya is setting a benchmark for responsible, community-driven, and sustainable tourism in India, while creating jobs, enhancing infrastructure, and enriching cultural experiences for visitors.
