The first direct flight from Delhi to Shillong is scheduled to take off on December 21, the day when Meghalaya will reopen its tourism for visitors from outside after more than eight months of closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictive mode in which Meghalaya is reopening its tourism will also help the state gauge the possible reaction of tourists if the state is brought under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime. The direct flight is expected to bring a sizable number of high-end domestic tourists to the abode of clouds who will not be able to travel to destinations abroad due to pandemic restrictions on international travel. It will also cut down travel time for the tourists flying from Delhi as Umroi airport is only 30 km from Shillong. Meghalaya is looking at the initial frequency of once or twice-a-week frequency of this 72-seater flight from the national capital. Meghalaya government has made registration through the official app or website of Tourism Department mandatory to ensure strict adherence to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of COVID-19 for tourists from outside the state. Under the SOP, a valid e-invite to be issued following registration is mandatory to travel to Meghalaya. It is mandatory to book at least two nights stay, either in hotel, homestay, or guest house for the first two nights and declaration of the complete itinerary for the e-Invite to be generated. This rule has been inserted to provide the hospitality industry in the state assured business. Often many tourists from Assam or other states prefer to travel to a few tourism spots, mostly during weekend and return the same day without spending a night in Shillong or other places in Meghalaya. Number of such tourists increased significantly after the Guwahati-Shillong road was improved to a four-lane highway up to Barapani and travel time reduced. The restriction will also cut down additional traffic load on Meghalaya roads as only tourists planning to spend minimum two nights will now be travelling to destinations in the hill state. This will increase the load on nature tourism destinations in Assam within two-hour drive from Guwahati such as Chandubi lake, Pabitora wildlife sanctuary and similar other places. However, the mandatory booking of accommodation for at least two nights in Meghalaya will have an impact on hospitality industry as many tourists, businessmen, traders from outside Assam who used to travel to Meghalaya for a day's trip prior to lockdown days mostly stayed in accommodations in Guwahati. Direct flights bringing tourists directly to Meghalaya from outside the region will also have an impact on tour operators based in Assam. The new SOP issued by Meghalaya Tourism states that if the tourist is staying as a guest of any family or friend in Meghalaya, then the tourist shall declare the full address and contact details of the family or friend and the complete itinerary for the e-Invite to be generated. The tourist will be required to present the e-invite at the entry checkpoints along with a COVID negative certificate. With low incidence of COVID-19 in North-eastern states, the SOP will not be a deterrent for tourists from outside the region. The tourism industry will still be keeping their fingers crossed, as they are not sure as to how the tourists will react to growing clamour for introduction of the ILP regime in Meghalaya. Introduction of ILP will require the tourists to obtain prior permission to travel to Meghalaya which is akin to obtaining the mandatory e-invite from the Tourism Department due to travel restrictions imposed under the SOP on account of the pandemic situation. The Meghalaya assembly unanimously adopted a resolution in December last year after both the Houses of parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 so that the entire state can be excluded from the purview of the amended citizenship Act. The pressure groups in the state have demanded the Meghalaya government to mount pressure on the Central government to introduce the ILP regime. Those opposed to ILP in Meghalaya argue that the colonial era restrictive regime would adversely affect tourism industry in the state. They cite the example of tourists from Assam visiting Meghalaya on a day's trip and argue that such tourists will ILP a deterrence. The SOP is also going to be a deterrent for many such tourists. It is a clever move by the Meghalaya government to groom the tourists for a restrictive regime so that if and when the ILP is introduced as a response to the growing demand, it does not create a negative perception for the tourists. Tourists from outside travelling to other states in the region with ILP regime are anyway familiar with such restrictions. Meghalaya is at a crossroads of opening its door to tourists from outside under a restrictive regime and its cascading effect.