Chief Minister Conrad Sangma along with Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh inaugurated the Travellers’ Nest at Kyiem village, Mawphlang. This project was funded by the The Meghalayan Age Limited through the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd., with an investment of 94 lakhs and will be run by the community of Kyiem village.
The Travellers Nest has five cottages and a restaurant to cater to the need of visitors.
The inauguration marks a crucial milestone in the state government’s efforts to foster community participation to promote sustainable tourism.
Inaugurating the infrastructure, the Chief Minister highlighted the importance of community engagement in driving the state’s economic model.
“Our strength lies in community involvement, which we are leveraging for our economic model,” he emphasized.
Highlighting the collective responsibility of various stakeholders, including the government, community, and public at large, he said, “Meghalaya’s progress cannot be achieved in isolation. Every stakeholder has a role to play, and identifying these roles while keeping the ultimate goal in mind is crucial”.
Terming that Government is working to promote the strengths of Meghalaya as a shining example of sustainable economic growth driven by community strengths, he said, “We are building an economy and livelihood based on our state’s strengths. This model is one we wish to showcase to the world.”
Talking further on the tourism sector, the Chief Minister expressed his optimism about the role of initiatives like “The Travellers Nest.”
“Tourism is a key sector for us. Our goal is to create close to one lakh job opportunities in the sector through various interventions by stakeholders,” he added.
He also informed on the pivotal role of entrepreneurs in pushing the state’s development agenda forward and enlightened on the newly launched CM Elevate program.
Under Chief Minister’s Elevate program, Government is offering substantial subsidies ranging from 30% to 75% for projects initiated by different entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and other entities.
“The goal of the program is to invigorate the economy through diverse initiatives, from cinema halls to health clubs and tourism projects”, he added.
He also informed the gathering on the significance of improved road infrastructure in the State. He said that the ongoing improvement and construction of road from Mawphlang to Weiloi is testmony of Government’s commitment to prioritizing road connectivity.
During the programme, he flagged off eight Prime Tourism Vehicles.