Meghalaya reopened for tourism from December 21 amid strict COVID-19 protocol after a forced-break due to the pandemic.
On December 21, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong inaugurated a tourist facilitation centre – entry-exit point – at Umling which will act as a registration and COVID-19 testing centre besides providing all useful information to the visiting tourists.
The inaugural event was also attended by minister H Dohling and MLAs JS Sawkmie and S Sohtun among other officials.
The facilitation centre will be open 24×7 and is equipped with counters for checking-in tourists, others visitors and residents of the state. The facility also has a fully functional COVID-19 testing centre, isolation ward for people with COVID-19 symptoms and a report collection counter.
In a bid to restart the tourism industry in the picturesque Northeast state, Meghalaya government has laid down several COVID-19 protocols. Among other norms, anyone visiting the state will have to mandatorily register and undergo tests for COVID-19 if they are not carrying a recent negative report.
General guidelines for tourists visiting Meghalaya
- As per an order issued by the state’s tourism department, tourists will be required to produce an original copy of COVID-19 negative report at the entry points.
- The tests report – RT-PCR tests only – will be valid if it was done within 72 hours of commencing their journey.
- Rapid Tests report will not be accepted and the tourist will have to undergo a fresh test at the entry-exit point.
- Tourists planning to visit Meghalaya will need to mandatorily register on the Meghalaya Tourism App and at the same time, generate an e-invite for the proposed itinerary.
- The e-invite can be generated on the official website of Meghalaya Tourism. One will need a valid photo ID card for registration.
- A tourist will be required to book at least two-nights stay (either at homestay, hotel, or guest house) and provide a declaration of the complete itinerary for the e-invite to be generated.
- The services of registered tour operators listed on the Meghalaya Tourism website and on the Meghalaya Tourism App, can also be used to get an e-invite.
- Further, those staying as a guest of any family or friend in Meghalaya, need to declare the contact details and full address of the family or friend. They will also need to submit the complete itinerary to obtain an e-invite.
