HimVani
Shimla: Himachal tourism has targeted 10 per cent as its contribution towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state during the current financial year. This was stated by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal while attending a meeting with the visiting Union tourism, housing and urban poverty alleviation minister, Kumari Selja, at Peterhoff here last evening.
The Chief Minister said that the state had achieved 8.5 per cent GDP from tourism during preceding financial year as 11.40 million domestic and foreign tourists had visited the state. He said that the state had 2,090 registered hotel units in operation having 50,000 bed capacity. He said that high-end tourism infrastructural facilities were being created to attract tourists with paying capacity.
He said that ‘Har Gaon Ki Kahani’ scheme launched by the tourism department was gaining popularity with the enthusiastic tourists who were keen in knowing the historical importance of many of such villages in the state since it aimed at developing villages with historical importance as tourism villages by creating basic infrastructure in villages.
He said that Himachal Pradesh happened to be first state in the country which had linked MNREGA with tourism promotion activities. He said that Home Stay scheme had also been a grand success since large number of villagers were coming forward to register their houses under the scheme which provide tourists a peep into the life style of rural Himachal Pradesh besides acquainting them to the customs and traditions of different places. 246 home stay units have so far been registered in the state and more applications were being processed.
