Shillong, September 27: World Tourism Day was observed in Shillong today at U Soso Tham Auditorium, which was attended by Chief Minister, Dr Mukul M Sangma as the Chief Guest while Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism etc Kennedy Khyriem was the Guest of Honor.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Dr Mukul M Sangma said that the World Tourism Day is a moment for all to connect with the prospects of Tourism and its immense potentiality in the state. “It is an important day, relevant and befitting to the state of Meghalaya that has seen a turnaround with increasing footfall of tourists in the state,” he said.
“Tourism is one of the most crucial sectors to ensure socio economic transformation for the future development and prosperity of the state,” he added. The Chief Minister added that the government has embarked upon a number of initiatives to optimally realize the benefits of this sector. He also said that Tourism is not a sector that can thrive in isolation and this called for positive and collective action from all departments of the government and the stakeholders.
Dr Sangma said that Tourism being one of the most inclusive sectors in providing livelihood opportunities in a sustainable way, it is important to develop the products of value chain in the Tourism sector. He also said that as the World Tourism Day is celebrated with the theme for this year, ‘Sustainable Tourism: Tool for Development’, it is also necessary for all to commit to engage collectively in all those activities which will ensure sustainability.
He stated that our vibrant culture and way of life are strengths which can add value to various products in the Tourism sector. Tourism can create multiple spaces of opportunities but it calls for aggressive engagement to sensitize the stakeholders and promote the spirit of entrepreneurship to take advantage of the huge potentialities in the sector he added. He also urged all to participate in the entrepreneurship programmes of the state.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also released a Booklet prepared by the Tourism Department, Meghalaya during the occasion.Also present was Chief Secretary, Meghalaya, Y Tsering, Director, Tourism and Director, Arts & Culture.
