Policy Plea: Rethinking Sustainable Tourism in Meghalaya
Sustainable tourism cannot and should not be controlled by price. True sustainability rests on carefully regulated numbers, responsible management, and an ethos of mutual respect between hosts and visitors. Meghalaya is celebrating record tourist arrivals while simultaneously promoting sustainable tourism. These two objectives, if not reconciled, risk contradicting one another.
Price as a Poor Regulator
There is a growing belief that raising entry fees or costs will reduce tourist numbers. However, global experience demonstrates otherwise. When a monetary price is imposed, many tourists perceive it as a license — “I have paid, therefore I am entitled to behave as I please.” This approach neither encourages responsible behavior nor preserves the integrity of our natural and cultural assets.
The Recommended Approach
A more effective model is to regulate through clearly defined limits and standards of behavior, with stringent enforcement. This entails:
- Establishing visitor caps where necessary to prevent overcrowding and ecological damage.
- Setting out clear rules of conduct for all tourists, communicated transparently at entry points and through official channels.
- Imposing strict penalties for non-compliance, thereby reinforcing accountability rather than pre-emptive exclusion through pricing.
Such a system does not commodify nature but instead strengthens a culture of responsibility. This framework ensures that visitors who respect the destination are welcomed, while those unwilling to comply are naturally discouraged.
A Practical Analogy
The principle can be illustrated through a simple operational example. In managing a bed and breakfast, guests initially expected breakfast at any time, leaving the hosts unable to function effectively. A clear boundary was established: complimentary breakfast was provided before 8:15 am, with a charge applied thereafter. Significantly, no guest ever chose to pay extra, and behavior naturally aligned with the intended schedule. The objective was not revenue generation, but behavioral alignment.
Policy Implication for Meghalaya
Similarly, in the context of tourism management, the goal is not to raise revenue through entry fees but to guide visitor behavior through regulation and enforcement. Meghalaya should avoid positioning sustainability as a pricing mechanism and instead operationalize it through:
- Visitor management systems that cap daily or seasonal entry volumes.
- Codes of conduct outlining permissible and prohibited actions.
- Hefty fines for violations that threaten ecological or cultural preservation.
Conclusion
Sustainable tourism is not achieved by pricing out certain visitors. It is achieved by fostering respect — respect from the community, respect from the authorities, and respect from the visitors themselves. Meghalaya has the opportunity to lead by example in India by adopting a model that prioritizes regulation, education, and enforcement over revenue-driven deterrence.