THE BEAUTY and history of Meghalaya is admired by many tourists both national and international but the admiration for it is lost on the state government. So, is the state government still able to promote the tourism industry alone?
Handing tourists spots under various departments like the famous Wards Lake to the Forest Department, the beautification of the Bathing place of the Erstwhile Jaintia Kings, has done no good to the tourism industry. Where are the Flying Duck, the Floating Bus, etc that the state government had spent lakhs procuring?
The Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation which is a specialized body for promoting tourism in the state has done nothing decisive except breaking world records? In fact it has only ended up in negative story reports in newspapers!
Noting that the state is one of the most peaceful in the "Land of the Rising Sun of India" or the Northeastern Region of the country tourists are eyeing a visit to the state but still harbour doubts about it.
If the Iakynti Resort at Lake Umiam is booming why isn’t the Orchid Resort? So, why not start privatizing tourist spots in the state? By privatization I mean leasing out the tourists spots.
Beautifying a spot by the government only takes time and ends up in controversies like the beautification of Nartiang with several NGOs agitating against the delay in construction, costs of project, etc. But an entrepreneur would beautify a spot not only for his interest but also for the interest of the state in terms of revenue received from hotels and tourists and it would also be a ‘controversy free issue’.
Remember the Thadlaskein Lake along the National Highway 44 a decade ago, before it was privatized? It was a forgotten historical lake with the hotel building opposite being a den off all creatures except humans. The locals have even gone to the extent terming it as a haunted house, as it was in a deplorable condition. But after the Tourism Department handed it over to an entrepreneur a couple of years ago the place is now a TOT-‘Talk of Town’ with the lake being cleaned up and the hotel building being well furnished. Now the lake hosts numerous events including the annual tourism promotion week known as ‘Discover Jaintia'.
Imagine a tourist spot like Wards Lake being privatized and the lake remaining open till late in the evening, lights around it, families spending time with their children and beating the heat. Seeing people rushing to Wards Lake not because a body is fished out but for a Musical Concert or a fashion show will begin soon. Having our own musical talents performing and fashion designers displaying their items with models walking the ramp; it would also be the best ground of promoting talented youths of the state.
After the privatisation, the role of the government should still be important, as it would be a promoter of the tourism industry in the state and be a watch-dog so that as such privatization won’t hamper the natural beauty of the spots permanently.
Even handing the tourist spots to the community will be of benefit as it would generate employment to the unemployed youths of the area. Even organizing various tourism relating programmes for the locals of the area would be an option if handed to the un-experienced youths of a community.
So handing over various tourists spots to a private body or an entrepreneur would be a major milestone in promoting the booming tourism Industry.
