Shillong, Nov 21: In a significant step towards promoting high-end tourism and attracting high-value tourists to Meghalaya to showcase the State’s unique natural beauty and culture, the newly constructed Mawsmai Banquet Hall and 32 luxury suites of Hotel Polo Orchid Resort at Sohra in East Khasi Hills were inaugurated on Thursday.
The expansion of the premier property was initiated to accommodate the rising influx of tourists to Sohra. The luxury property is set against the breathtaking backdrop of Sohra’s misty hills and cascading waterfalls of the famed Mawsmai Waterfall.
Inaugurating the luxury suites and the banquet hall, chief minister Conrad K. Sangma lauded Polo Towers Group for including high end luxury suites at Orchid Resort Sohra. “The creation of new tourism infrastructure by different stakeholders in the state, only goes to prove that tourism is growing leaps and bounds, and is providing a conducive environment for the visitors,” the chief minister said.
Lauding chairman of Polo Towers Group for its initiative, the chief minister said, “The intervention is not only enabling improved tourism amenities but shows collaborative approach between community, government and the stakeholder. Building trust with the local community is key towards building a balance synergy, while promoting tourism interventions.”
The chief minister also lauded the group for introducing local cuisine, culture and traditions, in the overall ambience and setup of the resort. “Anyone visiting the resort will get to experience Meghalaya,” he added.
Speaking about inclusive and immersive experience for a tourist, he said, “Stakeholders should present Meghalaya to the visit, and engage them to experience Meghalaya in total, be it food, culture or its traditions. Visitors should be immersed in our rich culture and traditions. Tourists should be allowed to experience Meghalaya,” the chief minister remarked.
Talking of Meghalaya’s growth in tourism and its contribution to the overall GDP, he informed that tourism has played a crucial role in the overall turnaround of the economy of the state.
“Few years back, Meghalaya’s economy was roughly at 4.7 billion US dollars. In the last five years, we have been able to double the number, and our growth rate is about 10.5 percent. There is huge investment in tourism sector, and we expect to touch 10 billion US dollars economy by 2028,” he added.
Informing that government does not only want to accomplish target but its approach was to ensure that there is economic growth and inclusive development, which encompasses people from different walks of life.
He further informed that close to Rs. 2000 Cr has been invested in the state in the last three years, and about Rs. 4000 Cr will be invested in the tourism sector in the next few years.
“We have been able to create direct and indirect employment of close to 50,000 in the last three years. We expect to double it to about 100,000 (1 lakh) jobs in the next four to five years, with a large investment,” he said.
