Shillong, July 9: As part of its endeavour to promote high-value and low-volume tourism in Meghalaya, the state government has decided to construct five star luxury resorts in East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills and identified plots for camping sites at Sohra and Umiam.
Informing this on Wednesday, tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh said the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday.
Process of building a five-star luxury on PPP mode at Sohra has reached an advanced stage and the financial bid will be placed on July 11, he said.
Tendering process for an Integrated 5-Star Resort at Umiam to be built on a 35-acre area of mainland and 36.78-acre island is expected to begin soon, he added.
The department of Forest and Environment handed over nearly 300 acres of land for the resort at Umiam.
The 36.78-acre island was earlier leased out to a private entrepreneur, and the matter has been settled now, the minister said.
Meanwhile, the government also decided to redevelop Polo Orchid Hotel in Tura with over 100 rooms.
Plots for setting up camping sites have also been identified at Sohra and Umiam, he said.
“These initiatives supported by capital subsidies and tax incentives under the MIIPP and NE Industrial Policy will certainly help attain the stage of a premiere destination for luxury and eco-tourism,” he said.
He also said the work on expansion of Shillong Airport is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
On the Shillong-Tura Copter Service, he said the service is expected to be relaunched on a daily basis once the airport expansion is completed.
