State
Tour operators want tourist taxi association to call off protest
TOAM says consequences of the protest will be irreversible & will deter tourists from visiting Meghalaya
Shillong, Sept 17: The Tour Operator Association of Meghalaya (TOAM) has asked the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) to withdraw its protest and address its concerns with the government privately.
“We cannot risk the protest leading to deterring tourists from coming to our State,” president of the association E. Banlumlang Blah told reporters on Wednesday.
A letter was also sent to the AKMTTA after repeated diversions of organised tours away from Meghalaya to other destinations in Northeast India.
“This disturbing trend, similar to what we witnessed last year, has already resulted in significantly low tourist footfalls over the past few months,” Blah said, adding, “If this practice continues, the consequences will be irreversible. Tourists who are diverted once will not return.”
Asserting that the survival of Meghalaya’s tourism industry depends on a collective action, Blah said delay or complacency will only accelerate the downfall we are all trying to avoid.
“We urge your association to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and to commit to immediate joint action by not disrupting the inflow of tourists and Taxis from Assam who wish to enjoy the beauty of our State,” he added.
The AKMTTA has called for an indefinite strike from September 16, demanding that the state government ban the entry of tourist taxis from outside the state to different tourist spots of Meghalaya.
