Shillong (Meghalaya), May 29: Meghalaya is turning local families into the backbone of its tourism economy, using homestays to meet surging visitor demand and keep earnings in rural communities.
Shillong topped Skyscanner’s 2025 list as India’s most-searched travel destination, and tourist arrivals have climbed from roughly 12 lakhs in 2018 to over 16 lakhs today. The state is targeting 21 lakhs by 2028, backed by NITI Aayog’s April 2026 Divya Bharat report that named Meghalaya a year-round destination for its living root bridges, caves and indigenous traditions.
To bridge a supply gap, the government made homestays central to its strategy. The September 2023 Meghalaya Tourism Homestay Scheme, run with PMEGP, offered up to 70% assistance for projects up to ₹10 lakh. It sanctioned 900 applications, with more than 490 homestays now operating, adding 1,000 rooms and about 1,500 livelihoods.
The September 2025 Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Homestay Mission scales that up, aiming for 3,000 new homestays and 15,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2028. New units can get subsidies up to ₹7 lakh, existing ones up to ₹2 lakh for upgrades. Eighty applications have already been approved across 10 districts.
Beneficiaries say the support has changed their prospects. Ri Bhoi entrepreneur Daminot Kharshandi credited the scheme for giving him the confidence to launch and expand, while state branding brought more visitors and revenue. At Umden Umsaitprah, Donny Esmond Rapsang built Friendship Homestay with over ₹9 lakh in assistance, opening in 2025 and now employing local youth alongside supporting his household.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has stressed that the model creates an ecosystem linking homestay owners, transporters, food vendors and guides, spreading tourism’s benefits to the grassroots. That approach will be showcased at the 2027 National Games, when Meghalaya plans to house visitors in homestays rather than a traditional Games Village, placing local families at the centre of the event.
