Meghalaya’s tourism sector has registered a steady flow of visitors in 2025, with hoteliers estimating that around 1.5 million tourists visited the state during the bygone year.
The hoteliers also observed that several disruptions during the year had prevented the numbers from being higher.
President of the Federation of Shillong Hotels, Parambir Singh Sehdave, said tourism in the state is shaping up well, with festivals such as the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival emerging as major draws for visitors.
“However, that incidents like the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, the Ahmedabad plane crash, and fears triggered by landslides in other hilly regions adversely affected tourist sentiment,’ Sehdave said.
He said traffic congestion remains the most common complaint among tourists visiting Shillong, though hoteliers are hopeful that projects such as the Western Bypass and proposed flyovers would ease the problem.
He also highlighted serious issues such as the shortage of potable water, erratic power supply, and a sharp rise in electricity bills owing to new charges, which have increased operational costs for hotels.
According to reports, Sohra continues to perform well, with over 300 tourism-related properties and new eateries coming up. In contrast, Dawki has suffered owing to delays in completing the Shillong–Dawki road, forcing several hotels and restaurants to shut down over the past few years.