Shimla, May 2
The scare of SARS notwithstanding, summer revellers have been making a beeline to the hills.
The tourist season has begun on an encouraging note with a record number of tourists arriving in the state during April. Major Vijay Mankotia (retd), Tourism Minister, told reporters here today that hotels in the state recorded 50 to 80 per cent occupancy against the normal 25 to 30 per cent. The large number of holidays and the restoration of leave travel allowance by states had been the main factor for the unprecedented rush.
SARS, instead of affecting the tourist traffic, might have boosted it. The tourist traffic bound for Singapore, Thailand and other nearby countries, it appeared, got diverted to northern India, particularly Himachal Pradesh, which unlike the adjacent Jammu and Kashmir, is quite peaceful.
Referring to future plans, Major Mankotia said it was regrettable that the state had failed to develop any new tourist stations after Independence and the entire focus had been on places like Shimla, Dalhousie and Kasauli which came up during British rule. He said his endeavour would be to bring some new destinations like Chindi, Chanshal ski slopes, Larot, Barot and Jhatingari on the tourism map.
The unexplored areas, he said, not only abounded in scenic beauty but were also a repository of the rich hill culture. Major Mankotia said the centenary celebrations of the Shimla-Kalka rail line this year had provided an ideal opportunity to promote tourism in the state. He said the government planned to organise a series of events to recreate the aura of British days in the queen of hills. The historical gaiety theatre would be brought alive by performances of renowed theatre personalities from Maharashtra and Delhi. Efforts would be made to organise Durand Cup matches at the Annandale from where the tournament started and an exhibition cricket match on the highest ground of the world at Chail. The plans were to bring all the players who participated in the recent World Cup for the match. Most of the events would be held from November 9 when the rail line completed 100 years. The government would also request the Centre to come out with a postal stamp to commemorate the century of the track.
Next year again similar events would be organised to celebrate the 75 years of the Kangra valley rail. The Pathankot-Joginder Nagar track was a main attraction of the majestic valley.
Major Mankotia said the government proposed to exploit the tourism potential of the cold desert of Lahaul-Spiti in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir as the Buddhist tourist circuit being promoted with the assistance of the Centre ended at Leh. Joint efforts would benefit both the states.
He lamented that there was no forward movement on the projects planned by the Congress government during its earlier term in the past five years. The Dhumal government only talked about tourism and did precious little to promote it.
At present an entrepreneur had to go through a cumbersome procedure involving 38 stops to get tourism projects cleared. He would try to simplify things by creating a land bank from which sites ready for setting up projects could be allotted.
