Himachal Pradesh dotted with many tourism spots like Shimla, Manali, Rohtang Pass, Kangra, Chamba among others has been witnessing an upsurge in the tourism sector recently. The state’s hotels are experiencing 30-35 per cent more occupancy compared to previous years. According to the information revealed by Yogesh Behl, General Manager, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), many hill stations have been buzzing with visitors despite the onset of the monsoon season.
“Most tourists are opting for this hill state after cancelling their bookings in Srinagar and its nearby tourist spots. Even at our information centres, we are getting enquiries from tourists who now wish to visit the Himachal hills due to the frenzy in Kashmir,” Yogesh added.
Himachal Pradesh well-renowned for its delicious apples, a World Heritage railway and many picturesque tourist spots, attracted over 11,437,155 tourists, including 400,583 foreigners, last year. The HPTDC formed with an objective to promote its state as the key tourism destination has now empanelled 7 creative agencies to create campaigns which will mainly tap the domestic market.
The tourism department of Himachal Pradesh will focus on lesser-known destinations and efforts will be aimed towards popularizing paragliding, fishing, trekking, water rafting and the lesser known 'orchard tourism'.
