Shillong: Hotel and homestay bookings in Shillong, Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and adjoining areas have been cancelled following the deterioration in the law-and-order situation after violence and vandalism during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) bike rally in the state capital on Aug 19, tourism stakeholders said.Sohra and neighbouring areas have reported cancellations of around 80-90% of bookings by prospective tourists amid security concerns. A blockade at Jorabat, a key entry point along the inter-state boundary with Assam, has added to the uncertainty.“Aug is already an off-season for hotels in Shillong and Sohra, with average occupancy at around 20%. We had bookings from everywhere, but now all have been cancelled,” Federation of Shillong Hotels (FOSH) president Parambir Singh Sehdave said.There are around 1,400 hotels and homestays in Shillong, Sohra and adjoining areas of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills, according to Sehdave. The hospitality sector has an estimated 15,000 rooms, based on average of around 10 rooms per property, he said.“This has negatively impacted the hotel industry in Meghalaya during the peak season of Puja and Christmas. We hope the situation will improve and once again the hotel industry of Shillong and Sohra will be flooded with tourists,” he said.The Tour Operators Association of Meghalaya, Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum, Tour Guides Association of Meghalaya, Federation of Shillong Hotels, Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum and Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation have condemned the attacks and vandalism involving vehicles from outside the state, including tourist taxis and buses, as well as pedestrians and bystanders.The stakeholders said the incidents could damage Meghalaya’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination, which they said had been built over the years.They also said the tourism sector supported the livelihoods of more than 30% of Meghalaya’s population, directly and indirectly, with homestays, guides, drivers, restaurants, artisans and small businesses dependent on a stable tourism environment.“The prevailing situation is affecting our business. We have limited our food menu since there are no customers,” a food-stall owner in Mylliem village said.
