Travellers opting for Kashmir, govt help sought to revive biz in Kangra

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, May 8

Most tourists, who visited Himachal in summers, are now preferring to go to the Kashmir valley, affecting the tourism industry in the Kangra region.

Ashwani Bamba, president of the Upper Dharamsala Hotel and Restaurant Association, says the return of peace in the Kashmir valley is the key reason for the shift. Hotels in Kashmir are reportedly packed to capacity and the diversion of tourists has hit business in Himachal.

He says that Kashmir is better placed than Himachal in terms of infrastructure and connectivity. Bigger planes can land at the Srinagar airport due to which more tourists can travel by air. The airfares are also moderate as compared to Himachal.

Tourism sector contributes 18% to Himachal's GDP

A few events are organised to showcase the state’s culture. The government should make efforts to attract tourists to the state, as the tourism sector contributes about 18 per cent to the state GDP. Sanjeev Gandhi, a hotelier

The state is poor in terms of connectivity. The Gaggal airport is the busiest airport of the state. However, the proposal to increase the length of its airstrip has been hanging fire for the past many years. Only small planes can land at the airport due to which airfares are very high.

Deepak Kumar, a tour operator, says many travel agents have stopped bringing tourists to the state as the entry and other taxes on buses and other vehicles are very high. Recently, tour operators of Gujarat had decided to boycott Shimla due to high state taxes. The decision has a direct impact on tourist arrivals in areas like Kangra as well, he adds.

Sanjeev Gandhi, general secretary of the Smart City Dharamsala Hotel and Restaurant Association, says that the Tourism Department is hardly making any effort to attract tourists. Just a few events are organised to showcase the culture of the state to visitors. The government should make efforts to attract tourists to the state, as the tourism sector contributes about 18 per cent to the state GDP.

Dharamsala hoteliers are heavily dependent on foreign tourists, who used to come here to meet the Dalai Lama. But in the wake of Covid outbreak, their inflow has almost come to naught. Now that international flights have resumed, hoteliers are pinning hope on their return to the area.

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