After a wait of 36 years, Meghalaya gets its first five-star category hotel. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday inaugurated the Vivanta Hotel and emphasized on how important it is for the tourists arriving in the state.
Speaking to the media, CM Sangma said, “The Vivanta Meghalaya is another example of the determination to not give up and continue doing things even when faced with a number of challenges and this hotel can be a story of the state of perseverance, commitment and dedication.”
Proposed in 1985, the construction for the hotel began a year later in 1986 and could only be completed after decades. The hotel has been on news for over three decades for all the wrong reasons, having suffered innumerable delays along the way.
Also Read : SBI hikes lending rates by 25 basis points from today, EMIs to go dearer
“The state faces a shortage of high-quality rooms and [now] the presence of five-star hotels in Shillong would allow the government to attract high-end tourists, host national and international music and sports events, and other seminars and conferences,” he added.
With a huge feeling of fulfilment and after a long wait of 36 years, I am filled with immense joy today to inaugurate Meghalaya’s First 5 Star Hotel ‘Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong’.@narendramodi @kishanreddybjp @tourismgoi @vivantashillong @VivantaHotels pic.twitter.com/FgoIH5cRxT
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) October 14, 2022
CM Sanga further said, “We don’t need one lakh tourist who spends on rupee per person, we need one tourist who spends one lakh. But for that we must to provide them something unique that they will remember. The best of the services must be provided.”
He said the presence of five-star hotels in Shillong would allow the government to attract luxury tourism, national and international music and sports events, and other seminars and conferences.
“Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong would herald an era of luxury tourism in the state and will go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the residents of the State,” Sangma said.
The chief minister urged that to give the tourists the best, local food and ordered the hotels to use Meghalaya’s traditional crafts. He said self-help groups that are working continuously on different local food experiments must be tied up with the hotels to give them something worthy of remembrance.
The Chief Minister reiterated his vision of transforming Meghalaya into one of top 10 states within the next 10 years and said that tourism is at the core of realizing this vision. He said that the government is developing a tourism model in which Sohra, Jowai, Shillong, Umiam and Tura regions will act as hubs, adding nearby rural tourist destinations will be developed as spokes.
Also Read : Alert Ration card holders! Govt. cancels more than 2 crore cards, here’s WHY
“Tourism is a very important sector and has a great multiplier effect therefore the government is working to create the right ecosystem for tourism in the state,” he said. “This model will be further replicated and transform Meghalaya into the most preferred destination for ecotourism. Today we have handed over the hotel to IHCL and the hotel will soon be open for guests,” he said.
In line with this strategy, the government has taken a number of initiatives to augment the accommodation infrastructure. The Chief Minister said that the connectivity infrastructure is also being upgraded to decongest Shillong and provide transport links to new destinations.
Sangma also focussed on bringing in tourists from Bangladesh as it is the nearest international neighbour. He said flight connectivity and other criteria will have to be worked out so it will take some time.
With the Northeast being a tourism hub, all the states should come together and promote the region as a tourist destination and not just as Meghalaya, the Chief Minister said. He said the chief ministers of the northeast states must hold frequent discussions regarding the promotion of tourism.
Built on an area of about 8,800 sqm, the Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong hotel boasts over 100 rooms and other facilities including a speciality restaurant, coffee shops, bar, retail shops, and a banquet hall.
It is owned by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and has been leased out for a period of 33 years on a PPP mode to be operated by the IHCL.
