Meghalaya announces 70% homestay subsidy and approves ₹130 crore Holiday Inn Resort in Tura.
In anticipation of the 2027 National Games, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has established a 70% subsidy program to encourage homestays. The Department of Tourism made the news at the land handover event for the projected five-star Holiday Inn Resort at Hotel Polo Orchid in Tura
Beneficiaries of the program will receive a 70% subsidy to set up homestays that are intended to function as sports hostels, which they would then own and run following the Games. He emphasised that Meghalaya must accommodate all types of tourists by offering a combination of upscale hotels and neighbourhood homestays. “This creative approach will not only address accommodation challenges but also create entrepreneurship and livelihoods for our people,” he stated.
Sangma also listed important infrastructure and connectivity projects, such as the expansion of Shillong’s runway, the state-funded restoration and revitalisation of Tura Airport with anticipated UDAN operations, the construction of a heliport, an upcoming IT park, a medical college, an extra secretariat, and urban beautification projects.
The proposed ₹130 crore Holiday Inn Resort project was also hailed by the Chief Minister as a significant advancement for the Garo Hills area. According to him, the investment supports the State Government’s overarching goal of strategically growing the tourism and related industries in order to turn Meghalaya into a $10 billion economy. He outlined a long-term plan to make Meghalaya’s economy worth $150 billion by 2047.
Timothy D. Shira, the minister of tourism, attended the event along with other dignitaries. It is anticipated that the forthcoming five-star resort will improve the area’s upscale hospitality infrastructure and solidify Meghalaya’s position as a major Northeastern travel destination.
