North Indian states caught napping for Commonwealth Games

The upcoming Commonwealth Games (CWG), which is expected to provide a fillip to the tourism industry in India, has caught the North Indian states napping.

States like Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, which should be the main beneficiaries from the Commonwealth Games (due to their loctation near Delhi), have been tardy in preparations to welcome tourists from the Games.

Representatives from hospitality sector in the states of North India maintained the tourism departments of the respective states were found wanting in developing a concrete roadmap for tourist attractions during the CWG.

The tourism departments seems to be lagging in their efforts over creating awareness among visitors about the various cities in Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) ex-President Manbeer Chaudhary admitted lack of interest by the respective state governments to showcase respective regions. He maintained that public-private role in promoting tourism destinations could have yielded better results for the states. Private players should have been roped in by the state governments in promoting the states, he added.

CII Himachal Pradesh Tourism Cell Coordinator Ajay Butail said efforts to pull tourists out of Delhi during Commonwealth Games to these states was one such area where the governments seemed to be lagging.

Absence of arrangements like running special trains and buses to ferry tourists out of Delhi was another prime example of the casual approach adopted by state tourism departments.

Even as state tourism department are projecting the efforts they are putting in during CWG games, efforts seem to be a bit too late.