Shimla: An innovative of the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for Tourism Startup in Hospitality Industry Scheme seems to be attracting the people assisting in promoting tourism and create self-employment opportunities in the State. The State Government will provide financial relief on loans for establishing new tourism units like home stays besides for the expansion and up-gradation of existing units.
Chief Minister stated that any bonafide resident of Himachal Pradesh would be able to avail facility of this scheme. The Government will provide an interest subsidy of 3 percent in urban areas, 4 percent in rural areas, and 5 percent in tribal areas on loans up to Rs. 2 crore, for a maximum period of three years from the date of loan disbursement.
The home stays are playing a pivotal role in attracting tourists by offering affordable alternatives to expensive hotels while encouraging longer stays in rural areas of the State. This scheme will go a long way in taping the tourism potential of culturally rich rural regions, thereby creating self-employment avenues and strengthening the State’s economy.
The Government is also focusing on developing new tourism destinations across the State. Development of tourist spots in Lahaul-Spiti (Chandratal, Kaza) and Kinnaur (Rackcham, Nako) and border tourism activities in the Shipki-La area of Kinnaur are among the new initiatives taken by the Government, to promote adventure sports, he stated.
The State Government has also decided to provide wellness centre facility at Manali Kullu, Naggar and Nadaun while ice skating rink facility at Shimla, Dharamshala and Mandi besides introducing river-rafting in Nadaun. A decision has also been made to beautify the Baba Balak Nath temple, he remarked.
He said that the tourism and hospitality sector contributes 7.78 percent to the State’s Gross Domestic Product and keeping this fact in view, this scheme reflects the State Government’s commitment to promoting sustainable tourism by engaging private entrepreneurs in developing tourism infrastructure without disturbing the ecological balance.
The State Government has also given priority for enhancement of facilities at religious sites. The main religious and tourist places are being connected with the ropeways and Bagulamukhi ropeway at Bakhli in Mandi district constructed at a cost of Rs. 53.89 crore has already been dedicated to the people. The work has been taken up to connect Rohtang, Bijli Mahadev, Baba Balak Nath temple and Chintpurni with ropeway.
The upcoming ‘Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park’ at Bankhandi in Kangra district being constructed at a cost of Rs. 619 crore would become India’s first zoo to receive certification from the Indian Green Building Council for its sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives. This park would also offer the facility of a planetarium.
The State Government has also launched the new Eco-Tourism Policy to develop 77 sites with online booking for activities like forest camping and trekking. The Kangra district is being developed as the ‘Tourism Capital’ of the State and the process has already been started for expansion of Kangra airport and so far Rs. 460 crore have been spent on this work, said the Chief Minister.
As many 16 heliports are being developed across the state to enhance air connectivity for tourists, especially in tribal and remote areas. In the first phase, heliports are being built at Jaskot (Hamirpur), Rakkar and Palampur (Kangra), Sultanpur (Chamba), Manali (Kullu), Jispa, Sissu, and Rangrik (Lahaul-Spiti), and Sharbo (Kinnaur). A decision has been made to construct a sky walk bridge in Hassan valley near Kufri in the State Capital. Introduction of water tourism for the first time at Gobind Sagar reservoir and Androuli is another important decision of the State Government.
