Highlights
- NITI Aayog names Meghalaya year-round destination.
- Tourist arrivals target 2.1 million by 2028.
- State backs 3,000 new homestays for growth.
NITI Aayog’s 2026 report, “Divya Bharat: A Window to the Soul of India,” said tourist arrivals climbed from around 1.2 million in 2018 to more than 1.6 million. The state is targeting 2.1 million visitors by 2028. ]
The report states that travelers increasingly seek authentic human connections alongside scenic experiences, adding that Meghalaya's culture and hospitality are now driving economic growth in the region.
More visitors also meant more pressure on accommodation. Rather than waiting on large hotel projects, the government moved to grow its homestay base as a faster way to add rooms while putting money into local households.
The Meghalaya Tourism Homestay Scheme came in 2023, tied to the prime minister's Employment Generation Program. It covers up to 70 percent of project costs for properties worth up to $10,500. Government figures show 900 applications were sanctioned, leading to more than 490 working homestays, around 1,000 rooms and close to 1,500 livelihoods created.
In September 2025, the state launched the chief minister's Meghalaya Homestay Mission, aiming to add 3,000 more homestays and 15,000 jobs by 2028. Approvals are already in across all 10 districts, with 80 applications cleared so far.
"The Homestay Scheme gave me the financial confidence to launch my business, which I successfully expanded," Ri Bhoi resident Daminot Kharshandi told The Economic Times, adding that tourism branding brought more visitors and better revenue to his area.
The homestay network is expected to support the 39th National Games in 2027,with Meghalaya planning to house visitors through homestays rather than conventional games villages, keeping tourism revenue within local communities.
On the infrastructure side, the Solar Mission, worth $52.3 million, plans to bring solar energy to health centres and commercial establishments across the state to cut down on power shortages.
The state also lined up several projects, from the Shillong Ropeway and Mawkdok Skywalk to the Rain Museum in Mawsynram and a Living Root Bridge Museum. Shillong Airport is also getting a runway expansion, with the Indian government officially awarding the works to improve air access to the state.
Last year, IHCL and Ambuja Neotia signed an agreement to develop 15 hotels across West Bengal, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
