New Delhi, Aug. 18: The magic of Meghalaya will soon unfold in other cities of the country as well as abroad.

The northeastern hill state, also known as the Scotland of the East, has drawn up an ambitious plan to market itself as a tourism destination. The tourism department of the state launched a series of road shows and photo exhibitions yesterday at Hotel Ashok here.

“Meghalaya has numerous unique selling points (USPs) as a tourist destination. Beginning from Cherrapunjee, which is the wettest place on earth, there is scope for eco-tourism in the Garo hills and adventure tourism in the Khasi and Jaintia hills,” tourism minister of the state, Debora Marak, said.

She said shows would be held in Calcutta, Hyderabad and Mumbai in the coming months while a similar event would be organised in Bangkok in September. “Then we will extend the programme to London and other European capitals that would include participation in tourism fairs,” she said.

Meghalaya, like Mizoram, has the advantage of being relatively free from the problem of insurgency that other states of the region face. The ANVC, active in the Garo hills, has recently signed a ceasefire agreement and the HNLC is regarded as a weak insurgent outfit.

The show in Delhi, titled “Misty-erious Meghalaya — the Abode of the Clouds”, comprised a documentary showing the places of tourist interest and a photo exhibition depicting festivals, flora and fauna of the state. Besides the minister, it was attended by tourism secretary Charles Pyngrope and a host of travel agents and hoteliers based in the capital.

Meghalaya recently signed an agreement with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) for preparation of a masterplan to promote tourism in the state. The final plan is expected to be completed within two months.

Efforts have also been made to include several places in the state in the tourism circuit of the Northeast that has Kaziranga and Manas from Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. The Union tourism ministry will grant Rs 8 crore to Meghalaya for development of the circuit and Rs 5 crore for development of destinations.

Nearly three to four lakh tourists visit the state every year. “We will like to increase this figure by developing the necessary infrastructure. We will invite top hotels to invest in the state,” said Marak, who held discussions with Union minister of state for tourism Renuka Chowdhury today on future projects in the state.