SHILLONG, Nov 4 � Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today exuded confidence that Meghalaya will take a lead in promoting North East as an important tourist destination of the country.
He made the statement at the inaugural session of the three-day Shillong Autumn Festival with the theme �Experience the North East�.
The Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya has organised the festival, an event that has been attracting hundreds of tourists in the past few years.
Ushering the beginning of the festival in the city today was a cultural float parade by troupes of all the Northeastern States which mesmerised the onlookers.
Sangma flagged off the cultural parade from Fire Brigade ground and said, �Meghalaya will become the �number one� tourist destination in the country and the State Government will do its best to achieve this. �We have the potentials in this sphere. It will generate a lot of economic benefits and create hundreds of employment opportunities for the youths�, stated Sangma, even as he called on the stake- holders to go for an introspection, identify the areas and look for positive results.
Meghalaya Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh exhorted the North Easterners to display their identity in diversity�.
Chairman of the MTDF, Robert G Lyngdoh said that this Autumn Festival aims at promotion of tourism, an avenue that can open up economic benefits to all.
The three-day gala event will culminate on Sunday at the Orchid Lake Resort at Umiam, 20 km from here.
